Nigeria, Jan. 23 -- Misconceptions about child malnutrition continue to delay medical care in Kebbi State, contributing to hundreds of preventable deaths despite the presence of treatment centres and humanitarian support.

For families like Halima Abdullahi's in Birnin Kebbi, such delays have proved fatal.

Mrs Abdullahi, a resident of Aleiru quarter, took her one-year-old daughter, Hauwa, to Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital in Birnin Kebbi metropolis in August 2025. There, doctors diagnosed the child with severe acute malnutrition.

Mrs Abdullah said her family initially believed the child's illness was the result of witchcraft and relied on traditional remedies.

"We were reluctant and relied on traditional medicine because we believed it w...