Since October 2016, the political conflict and security crisis in Cameroon’s North West and South West regions have internally displaced more than 1.4 million people, with over 1.5 million in need of humanitarian assistance. Violence and displacement have led to a deterioration of basic services, while nutrition and health needs have risen among the affected population. Agricultural outputs have decreased, living standards have worsened, and hunger and food insecurity have risen in most villages, contributing to a growing rate of malnutrition. International Medical Corps has been working tirelessly to provide support to the affected communities with support from the European Union.
Jona Ezekiel is a 13-month-old boy living with his grandmother, Mercy, in Ndaka village, located in the Buku health area of the North West region. Mercy is among the hundreds of thousands affected by the ongoing crisis in Cameroon. Things became especially challenging for Ezekiel’s grandmother when his biological mother, who was taking care of the children, abandoned them. Ezekiel’s father is a member of a non-state armed group and has never cared for his children.
The family previously relied on farming, specifically by cultivating a crop known as ground nuts and foraging njangsa (edible seeds) for sustenance. However, due to the crisis, they could no longer sell their products, as buyers from the border, who were their main customers, were now afraid to enter the Buku health area.
“Before the crisis, selling njangsa and ground nuts was my only source of income,” Mercy says. “Due to insecurity, we could no longer sell the little we managed to harvest, as crossing the border has become a major issue. Now we cannot afford food to feed our family.”
I have learned a lot through this journey. I can now monitor the nutritional status of my child and prepare a well-balanced meal for my family.
Mercy, Ezekiel's Grandmother
Mercy learned about International Medical Corps’ nutrition services during one of our support group meetings, facilitated by Community Health Workers (CHWs), for lactating mothers and caregivers of children aged 6–24 months. Through the support group, Mercy met a CHW who screened Ezekiel for malnutrition and referred him to the outpatient therapeutic feeding program (OTP) at the International Medical Corps-supported health facility. There, a Nutrition Assistant assessed Ezekiel and found that he was suffering from severe acute malnutrition without medical complications.
Upon admission, Ezekiel ate the food our staff provided, and his nutritional status began to improve. Staff also administered antibiotics, deworming medication, a single dose of vitamin A and the measles vaccine. Our team also provided Mercy with sanitation kits to promote proper hygiene and prevent infection. During his time in the OTP, our team assigned a CHW to conduct regular home visits to ensure that Mercy was administering the Plumpy’Nut at-home care correctly.
After receiving treatment and nutritional support for 12 weeks, Ezekiel’s health and nutritional status greatly improved. Eventually, he met the criteria for discharge from the OTP, and our team referred Ezekiel to the International Medical Corps-supported infant and young child feeding (IYCF) support group, where she would continue to receive education on optimal complementary feeding practices.
During the treatment, the nutrition assistant educated Mercy on optimal IYCF care practices, provided her with a middle-upper arm circumference (MUAC) tape and taught her how to use it to monitor Ezekiel’s nutritional status.
Transportation costs and difficult travel conditions posed major challenges for Mercy. She could not attend her weekly appointments, so our team provided her with enough Plumpy’Nut to nourish Ezekiel until she returned for a follow-up visit.
To prevent relapse and ensure that Ezekiel and Mercy live healthily, International Medical Corps introduced her to a non-governmental organization that offers livelihood and food security, for additional support. Meanwhile, our cooking demonstration sessions have helped Mercy to learn how to prepare nutritious meals for her children.
Mercy said, “International Medical Corps has really been of great help to my family. I have learned a lot through this journey. I can now monitor the nutritional status of my child using the MUAC tape. Also, I can now prepare a well-balanced meal for my family. I am thankful for what International Medical Corps has done for me and my family.”
