Via allAfrica.com, a September 17 report from the Monitor on a disease I've been neglecting: Uganda: Health Workers Abandon Nodding Syndrome Patients.
Health Workers in Kitgum District who are supposed to attend to children recovering from nodding syndrome have abandoned their work due to lack of facilitation.
The health workers are tasked with carrying outreach programmes in Tumanguu in Akwanga Sub-county, Matidi in Matid Sub-county and Okidi Health Centre III to assess the progress of children recovering from nodding syndrome and epilepsy.
The district focal person for nodding syndrome, Dr Geoffrey Akena, said last week that they used to be more than 10 health workers, but due to lack of facilitation, the number has reduced to only four.
"Workers are demoralised. For the last nine months, there has been no funds given to the district to run the activities," Dr Akena said.
He said every time they go for outreaches, they are supposed to be given a daily allowance of Shs17,000 [US$4.64] each. However, this has not been the case and the health workers are discouraged yet the out reaches are very crucial.
"At the moment, there are five children that have been re-admitted, two with severe malaria, two with serious convulsion, and one with burns. If the health workers regularly checked on the children, such issues would be managed," he said. In a single outreach, health workers are able see between 15-30 children.
The coordinator nodding syndrome in the Ministry of Health, Dr Bernard Opar, says he is not aware of the issue, but will visit the district in the course of this week to assess the situation.
Kitgum has 583 cases of nodding syndrome.
