Nearly 1.7 million children, aged 6 to 59 months, are projected to suffer acute malnutrition between August 2024 and July 2025. This includes 412,400 cases of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and almost 1.3 million cases of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM). Additionally, 96,200 pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW) are expected to suffer acute malnutrition in the same period.

The departments with the highest number of malnourished children between August 2024 and July 2025 include those in the Critical and Serious phases, which together account for a significant portion of the country's total malnutrition caseload.

The major drivers of acute malnutrition in Niger include inadequate quantity and poor quality of children's diets, high prevalence of diseases, inadequate access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and low hygiene practices. Additionally, reduced access to health and nutrition services, suboptimal breastfeeding practices, and high levels of food insecurity exacerbate acute malnutrition levels. Lastly, other risk factors like widespread shocks, including potential environmental and economic challenges, continue to negatively impact the nutrition situation.

• Strengthen acute malnutrition management, focusing on severe cases and community-level screening, with enhanced health interventions targeting childhood diseases and vaccination.
• Improve water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure while promoting optimal infant and young child feeding practices.
• Develop robust emergency food assistance mechanisms for vulnerable populations in high food insecurity phases.
• Enhance early warning and monitoring systems for nutrition and food security, with increased domestic financing and advocacy.
• Invest in local food systems through fortification and social protection strategies to build household resilience.