Uganda Health News: Government to control nodding disease

First published: 20111221 5:05:56 PM EST

Ultimate Media

The government through the Ministry of Health has said that it is working around the clock to have nodding disease contained.

The development follows the dissatisfaction from the Members of Parliament coming from northern Uganda where the disease has been recorded.

The Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Asuman Lukwago says that the ministry sent blood samples to the United States to find out the cause of the disease and the results are yet to come.

Dr. Lukwago adds that the Ministry of Health is also working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to see how the disease can be treated.

The PS has asked the people in the affected areas to be calm until the steps being taken by the government yield fruits. Lukwago says that the disease is new in Uganda and the expertise to handle it is not available locally. Nodding disease is common in children between 2 to 13 years according to Dr Lukwago.