LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- Humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has sounded the alarm over deteriorating health conditions in northwestern Nigeria, warning that the rainy season is fueling deadly disease outbreaks across vulnerable communities in Zamfara State.
In a statement released on Monday, MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, described the rainy months between May and September as a dangerous period for families already struggling with displacement, poverty and years of armed violence.
According to the organization, flooding, stagnant water, overcrowded shelters and poor sanitation are increasing the spread of infectious diseases, while food shortages and limited healthcare access are putting more lives at risk.
The Nursing Activity Manager at an MSF hospital in Zamfara, Sani Adamu, maintained that the season has worsened the spread of malaria, cholera, typhoid and severe malnutrition across the state, with thousands of vulnerable residents facing growing health risks amid insecurity and flooding.
“The rainy season affects the way we see patients. It increases the risks and transmission of many diseases, like malaria, cholera and other acute watery diarrheal diseases,” Adamu said.
MSF explained that floodwater creates breeding grounds for mosquitoes, leading to a spike in malaria infections.
At the same time, contaminated water sources are driving outbreaks of cholera, typhoid fever and other waterborne illnesses.
“In places where sanitation is poor and water sources are unsafe, any contamination can spread quickly. Flooding washes waste, garbage and faecal matter into water sources, spreading water-borne diseases. Children play in this water, households use it, and people fall sick,” Adamu added.
The global medical organization disclosed that it treated 136,778 malaria patients and 13,877 cholera cases in Zamfara State in 2025 alone, highlighting the scale of the growing crisis.
The group also raised concern over severe typhoid complications among children. One of the cases involved a young boy, Auwalu Biliya, from Shinkafi Local Government Area, who reportedly became seriously ill after consuming contaminated food and water.
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“We took him to the hospital in Shinkafi. We were told his intestines had been affected,” his grandmother, Rakiya Usman revealed.
The boy was later transferred to an MSF-supported hospital in Zurmi for emergency surgery after suffering intestinal perforation linked to untreated typhoid fever.
“Early treatment is crucial. When treatment is delayed, the intestine can perforate, a severe condition where the intestine ruptures. At that stage, complications can be fatal, and surgery is the only option,” Adamu explained.
Beyond disease outbreaks, MSF also warned that the rainy season overlaps with the annual food shortage period, causing malnutrition cases to rise sharply among children and pregnant women.
The organization reported treating 60,566 malnourished children in Zamfara during 2025, with children under 15 remaining among the most vulnerable.
Meanwhile, insecurity, flooded roads, damaged bridges and high transportation costs are making it harder for residents to reach hospitals and health centres on time.
A displaced mother identified as Saratu described the harsh reality facing many families during the rainy months, saying, “We live close to the river and sleep in the bush. We don’t have mosquito nets. During the rainy season, a lot of children get malaria. One child recovers, and another falls sick. Sometimes three of your children are ill at the same time, and you don’t know what to do.”
Notably, MSF stated that it currently supports four healthcare facilities across northern Nigeria to help manage seasonal outbreaks and rising malnutrition cases.
The organization urged authorities and health partners to improve access to clean water, sanitation, vaccination campaigns and emergency healthcare services to reduce preventable deaths during the rainy season.
“Most of the illnesses and deaths during the rainy season are preventable. Preventive action before and during the rainy season is critical,” Adamu concluded.
