War affected communities in Northern Uganda are experiencing an outbreak of the mysterious ‘nodding disease‘ or ‘nodding syndrome’.

Thousands of children have been affected across the north of Uganda, in Pader, Kitgum and Gulu. In Pader alone 66 children have died from the disease.

Nodding Disease is said to have links with River Blindness, a condition that affects some 18 million people, mainly in Africa. The disease first emerged in Sudan in the 1980’s and is also believed to be associated with epilepsy. The disease affects children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 15.

MP’s across the region are calling on the government to respond to this fatal illness, with threats to ferry thousands of children to the Mulago hospital for special treatment.