Child Protection Nigeria Project #60216

Better Nutrition for the Nigerian Child Via ADHFP

by Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN)

Better Nutrition for the Nigerian Child Via ADHFP

Project Report | Jul 23, 2026
Better Nutrition for the Nigerian Child - Q2 2026

By Oyinkansola Evboren | Head, Corporate Communications, PSHAN

Context : The Problem We're Solving

2.5 million Nigerian children live with severe acute malnutrition, concentrated in remote communities where healthcare is hardest to reach. Malnutrition is rarely caused by food shortage alone. A child's nutritional status depends on whether infections are treated before they drain the body's reserves, whether a mother received proper care during pregnancy, and whether a functioning clinic exists nearby at all. ADHFP addresses these upstream causes, and Q2 2026 shows that approach paying off.

What Your Support Made Possible

Through 60 revitalized Primary Health Centers across 33 states and the FCT, ADHFP delivered care that protects children's nutrition before malnutrition sets in:

58,268 children fully immunized, up from 46,478 in Q1. Each immunization prevents infections like measles and diarrhea, both of which strip nutrients from a child's body and can undo months of healthy growth in days.
16,830 antenatal care visits, giving mothers the iron supplementation and nutritional counseling that reduce low birth weight, one of the earliest and hardest to reverse forms of malnutrition.
128,435 people accessed health services overall, up from 116,771 the previous quarter.
795 community outreach sessions held, up from 620, bringing immunization and nutrition education directly to families before a child ever becomes sick enough to need a clinic visit.

How the Programme Works

A functioning PHC is a community's first line of defense against malnutrition. Through PSHAN, facilities are adopted, upgraded, and equipped with essential drugs, trained staff, and strong ties to the communities they serve. Prevention comes first.

This quarter's progress came from a few specific efforts:

Door-to-door outreach in Edo and Bauchi States pushed immunization numbers up sharply, with June alone accounting for nearly half of the quarter's total.
Drug stock management training helped facility staff keep essential medicines available, so infections are treated early rather than left to develop into the kind of illness that drives malnutrition.
Solar power and laboratory equipment procurement began for four PHCs in Edo State, work that will keep vaccines properly stored and services running without interruption.
Maternal and newborn care mentorship reinforced safe delivery and antenatal practices, protecting both mother and child nutritionally from pregnancy onward.

Voice from the Community

At Idunmwunvgha PHC in Edo State, Mr. Edmond Efosa has seen the difference firsthand. He described real improvement in care quality since the facility's revitalization, especially on antenatal and immunization clinic days. That is the model working as intended: a child protected from infection and a mother properly cared for during pregnancy are both, at their core, nutrition outcomes.

Conclusion and Call to Action

PSHAN is scaling ADHFP further, with the next phase of PHC revitalization already underway. Each new facility means more children immunized, more mothers supported through pregnancy, and more malnutrition prevented before it starts.

Your support is what makes this scale possible. Together, we can secure healthier futures for Nigeria's most vulnerable children.

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Mar 23, 2026
Better Nutrition for the Nigerian Child

By Oyinkansola Evboren | Head, Corporate Communications, PSHAN

The Problem We're Solving

2.5 million Nigerian children are living with severe acute malnutrition, concentrated in remote communities where healthcare is hardest to reach.

Malnutrition is rarely about food alone. It is shaped by whether a child can fight off infection, whether a mother receives proper care before birth, and whether a family has access to clean water. Addressing these upstream factors is the foundation of ADHFP, and in Q3 2025, the results reflect that approach.

What Your Support Made Possible

Through 60 revitalized Primary Health Centers (PHCs) across 33 states and the FCT, ADHFP delivered essential care to communities that need it most:

62,393 children fully immunized, protecting them against infections that deplete nutrients and reverse healthy development
17,319 pregnant women received antenatal care, including iron supplementation and nutritional counseling to reduce low birth weight
134,137people accessed health services overall, reflecting growing community trust and utilization

Each of these numbers represents a compounding investment in a child's long-term health.

How the Programme Works

A functional PHC is a community's first line of nutritional defense. Through PSHAN, facilities are adopted, upgraded, and made operational with essential drugs, trained staff, and strong community ties. The goal is prevention, not just treatment.

Key interventions this quarter:

Immunization reduces childhood infections like diarrhea and measles that block proper nutrient absorption
Antenatal care ensures mothers receive the supplementation and guidance needed for healthy births
Essential drug supply reached 45 PHCs, enabling early treatment before infections become nutritional crises
Borehole provision delivers clean water, removing one of the most direct drivers of childhood malnutrition

Voice from the Community

At Ediba PHC in Cross River State, the installation of a borehole had an immediate effect. The officer-in-charge noted that community members are benefiting directly, and that attendance at antenatal, postnatal, and other health services has increased as a result. Clean water, more mothers seeking care, more children protected.

Conclusion and Call to Action

60 PHCs revitalized. 126,000+ people served. This is the foundation.

PSHAN is now scaling ADHFP to revitalize over 700 additional PHCs nationwide. This expansion will bring vaccinations, medicines, nutrition counseling, and clean water to thousands more underserved communities. Frontline health worker training will be intensified, alongside community nutrition campaigns covering micronutrient supplementation, Vitamin A distribution, deworming, and improved infant feeding practices.

Your continued support is what makes this scale possible. Together, we can secure healthier futures for Nigeria's most vulnerable children.

Monthly data collation, validation, and reporting are in place across all programme states.

Links:

Read Q4 2025 Report

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Nov 20, 2025
Better Nutrition for the Nigerian Child - November

By Oyinkansola Evboren | Head, Corporate Communications, PSHAN

HFMC meetings at Rumuokwuta PHC, Edo State

Better Nutrition for the Nigerian Child via ADHFP

November 2025

Background

Improving child well-being in Nigeria is an urgent priority, especially in remote communities where access to basic healthcare is scarce. Currently, about 2.5 million children suffer from severe acute malnutrition. The Adopt-A-Healthcare Facility Programme (ADHFP) directly confronts this emergency by making functional Primary Health Centers (PHCs) the central pillar of nutritional defense.

In Q3 2025, thanks to donor support, our revitalized network of 60 PHCs across 33 states + FCT delivered essential, preventative services crucial to building nutritional resilience:

Over 42,000 children (42,379) were fully immunized, fortifying them against common diseases that deplete vital nutrients.
Over 14,800 pregnant women (14,803) received Antenatal Care (ANC), ensuring essential maternal nutritional counseling and supplementation for healthier births.
126,257 people accessed health services overall, driving health system utilization.

2. PHC-based Nutritional Support (The ADHFP-Strategy)

Through the "Adopt A Healthcare Facility Programme" (ADHFP), Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN) adopts and upgrades healthcare facilities within communities, ensuring children receive essential medical and nutritional care. The ADHFP strategy addresses the problem of malnutrition by ensuring PHCs are equipped, stocked, and staffed to prevent chronic illness and promote healthy growth. This includes building the capacity of healthcare workers and caregivers in nutritional education.

3. Summary of Activities: Nutritional Impact

Children Immunization (42,379): Reduces incidence of infections (diarrhea, measles), allowing children to absorb and retain nutrients effectively.
Women Antenatal Care (14,803): Provides iron supplements and counseling, preventing low birth weight and improving maternal health.
Essential Drug Supply (45 PHCs): Ensures immediate treatment for childhood infections that lead to rapid nutrient depletion.
Facility Provision (Boreholes): Provides clean water, reducing waterborne illnesses that severely compromise a child's nutritional status.

4. Voices from the Community

The provision of clean water is a direct nutritional win. As expressed by an officer-in-charge at EdibaPHC in Cross River State, Nigeria: “Many in the community are really benefiting from the borehole; it has increased our ANC, post-natal clinic attendance and other health services.”

5. Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring & Evaluation Processes are in place for monthly report collation, validation, and transmission.
On-ground ad-hoc staff as a key step in strengthening the workforce across different communities and states.

6. Long-Term Impact

The implementation of the Adopt-a-Healthcare Facility Programme by the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN) is expected to yield profound and sustainable long-term effects:

Improved child well-being: Support in remote communities improves well-being and reduces child mortality rates.
Empowered communities: The programme fosters community self-reliance, ownership, and development.
Reduction in inequalities: PSHAN's focus on remote communities will reduce healthcare disparities and promote equity and inclusivity.
Economic growth: Healthy children are more likely to become productive members of society, contributing to the economic growth of Nigeria in the long run.

7. Conclusion and Call to Action

Our progress this quarter demonstrates the transformative potential of a functional PHC system in tackling child malnutrition and strengthening community health. Building on the success of the first 60 revitalized PHCs, PSHAN, through the Adopt-A-Healthcare Facility Programme (ADHFP) is now advancing to revitalize over 700 additional PHCs across the country. This scale-up will bring lifesaving services closer to thousands of underserved communities, ensuring more children receive vaccinations, essential medicines, clean water, and nutrition counseling at the facility nearest to their homes.

As we expand, we will intensify training for frontline healthcare workers and deepen our community-based nutrition campaigns, including micronutrient supplementation, Vitamin A distribution, deworming, and improved infant and young child feeding practices. These interventions are essential to prevent avoidable childhood illnesses such as diarrhea, malaria, and malnutrition-related complications.

Your continued support is not just sustaining care; it is multiplying impact. With your partnership, we can accelerate national coverage and reach more vulnerable children. Together, we can secure a healthier future for countless Nigerian children and strengthen the foundation for long-term community resilience.

Atoruru PHC in Edo State, Nigeria

Kpata PHC, Kogi state receiving drugs.

Igboezenu PHC, Anambra state receiving drugs.

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