Africa-Press – Uganda. Leaders in Kitgum District have asked the government to support more than 100 children of female survivors of the nodding syndrome disease.
The leaders say efforts to trace the fathers of the children have failed and they have been disowned by maternal families.
The Monitor has learnt that most of the children are now of school-going age, however, most of the guardians cannot afford to pay school fees and provide other necessities.
Mr Joe Otto, the coordinator of the nodding disease syndrome in Labongo-akwang and Labongo-Amida sub-counties in Kitgum District, said: “In many places here, they are disowning them.”
Mr Richard Ociti, the chairperson of Bongo-Lakur Village in Labongo-Akwang Sub-county, said: “They have failed to trace the fathers of the children because some of their mothers were raped.”
While there are 1,050 victims of nodding syndrome in the district, Mr Ociti said his sub-county has more than 300 cases.
He adds that several government researchers and non-governmental organisations have picked samples to study the disease, but minimal support has been rendered to the victims.
Five of the female victims were in October relocated from Tumangu Village in Labongo-Akwang Sub-county to the Archbishop John Baptist Odama Care Centre, a new nodding syndrome care facility in Kitgum Town. Mr Otto said the condition of the five mothers has since significantly improved.
Fighting stigma
Chua West MP Patrick Polly Okin Ojara advised the government to create more income-generating opportunities for the families of the victims and design a strategy to sensitise the community against stigimatisation.
Mr Obol Arwai, the Kitgum chairperson, said: “Relatives are forced to tie the children with ropes because they fear they may drown or get burnt.”
He called upon the government to launch a drive to help the children.
In July, local communities across Acholi Sub-region embarked on mobilising funds and food items to support more than 5,000 patients of nodding disease through the support of the Irene Gleeson Foundation (IGF), a charity organisation operating in Kitgum.
Dr John Paul Kiffasi, the IGF executive director, said the funds and food were given to at least 1,000 families of the victims. “We gave each family 25kgs of posho, 10kgs of rice, a few kilogrammes of sugar, bars of soap, salt, and beans,” Dr Kiffasi said.
Background
In July, the 3rd Deputy Prime Minister, Ms Rukia Nakadama, visited the patients in Labongo-Akwang Sub-county and ordered the immediate arrest and prosecution of men victims.
While interacting with the families of the victims, Ms Nakadama also discovered that some female victims had died due to lack of treatment.
The district has 85 mothers who are suffering from the nodding disease.
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