Omoro nodding disease care center deserted

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A muti-million Nodding disease care centre built in 2012 in Omoro district is deserted. The center that was built for treating and rehabilitating nodding disease victims has been left in the care of two guards, who have gone several months without pay.

Found in Akoyo village in Lamola parish in Odek sub county, over 60km East of Gulu town, the center was established by Hope for Humans to support ailing children drawn from Acholi and Lango sub regions to receive palliative care, medical therapy, nutritious food supplements and special education among others.

The Non-Governmental Organisation vacated the district in 2017 after the Board of Directors led by Dr. Susanne Gazda, the lone funder dissolved the center due to funding shortfalls before Omoro local government took over management.

Sitting on at least two acres of land, the facility has a solar-powered guest house, dormitory, office, two classroom blocks, kitchen, dining hall, library and several latrine stances, which are covered by bushes.

Before its closure, the Centre was home to over 300 children affected by the nodding disease from neighboring Pader, Agago and Kitgum districts. 25 of the children hailed from Omoro district. Kenneth Odokonyero, a resident who worked for the facility since inception, revealed that two children have died in the village as a result of seizures due to lack of medical care. Odokonyero accused Omoro district authorities for mismanaging funds released by Ministry of Health.

Betty Aneno, a mother with a child with the nodding syndrome revealed to URN that she is facing an uphill task to provide the required care and treatment to her child because of the distant health government health facility.

Omoro District Nodding Syndrome Task Force led by Douglas Peter Okello, the LC 5 Chairperson recently intimated that the district had proposed a monthly budget of Shillings 20 million for re-opening the facility.

Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the Health Ministry Spokesperson disclosed that government is making preparations to take over management of the center. He advised nodding disease patients to get care and treatment from nearby government health facilities.

Since 2009, when the nodding disease syndrome was first reported in Kitgum, Gulu, Pader and Lamwo districts, about 3,000 children have been affected. In 2016, another Nodding Syndrome Centre was commissioned in Tumangur village, Labongo-Akwang Sub-county in Kitgum District which has since been idle.

According to Word Health Organization – WHO, nodding syndrome is a neurological condition with unknown cause. It typically affects children between the ages of 5 and 15 years old, causing progressive cognitive dysfunction, neurological deterioration, stunted growth and a characteristic nodding of the head.

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URN