The Niger State Nutrition Officer, Hajiya Asmau Mohammed, has disclosed that no fewer than 73 children have died as a result of malnutrition in the past six months.

Mohammed made this known on Tuesday at the High-level Advocacy and Policy Dialogue on the Nutrition Situation in the state.

She said these are the number of deaths recorded at the Community Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) and Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) Centers across the state.

The State Nutrition Officer explained that these figures are the official figures of those who present their children for treatment at these centres noting that there may be more as the centres are not all over the state while most people may not have presented their children for treatment.

Giving the profile of the Community based management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) Center in Niger state, she said that in the past six months, 2899 children have been admitted with 1,370 discharged adding that the centre recorded 196 defaulters and 46 deaths.

On the seven Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) centres, Asmau said that 234 children were admitted in the past six months with 163 discharged while 10 defaulted and 27 died.

Mohammed further appealed for the establishment of more CMAM centres, stressing that the only CMAM centre which is in Mariga is not enough to cater to the malnutrition needs of the state.