Untiring Public Health Champion: Lawan Hagam Kalsou Mobilizes Subjects For Project Success

In the quiet resilience of Guirou Grand village in Guéré Subdivision, Mayo Danay Division of Cameroon’s Far North Region, a heart-wrenching crisis is unfolding. His Majesty Hagam Kalsou, the respected Lawan (traditional ruler) of the community, voices a desperate appeal for help, highlighting a critical shortage of life-saving nutrition supplements for children struggling with malnutrition. This follows perennial devastating floods that destroyed crops.
His Majesty Kalsou, a long-time champion of public health who enthusiastically promotes vaccination in his community, is now leading a different fight: a struggle against hunger and disease caused by environmental catastrophe.

Of Partnership, Progress Undone
The community of Guirou Grand has benefited significantly from support, notably through Japanese government financing through the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, which has strengthened Guéré Health District. His Majesty Hagam and fellow traditional rulers played an active role in mobilizing their subjects, ensuring the success of these initiatives.
However, persistent challenges threaten this progress. Chronic issues such as a lack of access to clean drinking water force the consumption of "sullied water," leading to preventable diseases. The most immediate threat, however, is the recurring cycle of food insecurity driven by extreme weather.

Floods, Food Shortage
This year brought disaster; floods "engulfed all our crops," His Majesty reports, resulting in insufficient yields and a severe food shortage. This environmental blow has exacerbated an ongoing malnutrition problem.
Health authorities have been working diligently, training women to prepare enriched pap and distributing "Plumpy’Nuts" - a high-energy nutritional paste essential for treating severe acute malnutrition. "The health authorities are on top of the situation," His Majesty points out with assurance. 

Supply Has Run Out!
"We have run out of Plumpy’Nuts now," His Majesty states plainly, making an urgent plea to the United Nations Children's Fund for intervention. He captures the gravity of the situation with a poignant question: "If there are no Plumpy’Nuts for our malnourished children, what are we going to do?" The children, he notes, have come to rely on the supplement for recovery.

Call For Urgent Action
The situation in Guirou Grand is a stark reminder of the intersection of climate vulnerability and public health crises in the Far North Region of Cameroon. The community's leadership has clearly identified the problems: floods, food scarcity, lack of potable water, and critically, the interruption of humanitarian aid for malnutrition treatment.
His Majesty Hagam Kalsou's narrative is a powerful testament to a community mobilizing for its own survival, seeking the necessary support to bridge the gap between disaster and recovery. And ensuring that their children have a fighting chance at a healthy life.

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