Monday, March 12, 2012

“A FACT FINDING ON NODDING DISEASE IN OKIDI AND AKWANG SUB-COUNTY KITGUM DISTRICT”

Background of the disease:
A disease only known by many as “Nodding disease” was first reported by the Acholi parliamentary group to parliament to the then Minister of Health in 2004. However it was not called the nodding disease, it was referred to as the “strange disease”. It has since emerged that the report on the strange disease reached to the Ministry of health in 2009 according to the current Director General Health Services Dr. Jane Achieng.

The cultural belief on the causes of the diseases:
  • Witch craft and evil spirit
  • Relief food that had pieces of broken bottles and the chemically treated beans meant for agriculture that people ate due to hunger
  • Bombs used during the war
  • Epilepsy
  • Dirty water from the wells/springs and bites from Black flies (mostly found along the water/river banks)
  • Trauma due to the war
  • Eating of the Bush meat.
 All in all the signs and symptoms are observed when a child is given food to eat, although the child is angry, s/he does not realise the taste of food and seizures. Health workers believe that the disease affects the brain and destroys the sense of taste and feeling. Different agencies have intervened but the possible causes of the disease have not yet been established by either the Ministry of health or the world health organisations and other development partners.

The Purpose of the Finding:
To find out the socio-cultural and economic impact of nodding disease on the population, especially children and women, in kitgum district and how much the local government and the central government is doing on the ground to help the affected families.

Secondly the Fylaa Alumni to get valuable information about nodding disease that shall help in advocating for government interventions to manage the disease nationally.

Research Findings: