Funds for nodding syndrome unaccounted for, government says there's no new budget

In response, government has directed districts to integrate health care systems for the disease within their budgets as there's no more funds to disburse.

The call came after it was alleged that the funds sent in the financial year 2018/2019 were not accounted for and consequently not effective in helping victims. Shs1.334billion was disbursed to cater for all cases in the districts and Kitgum received Shs237million but both sums were not accounted for.

During her visit in Kitgum District to appraise the situation on nodding syndrome, on Tuesday August 9 2022, State Minister for Northern Uganda, Grace Freedom Kwiyocwiny said that district health departments are responsible for the cases in the areas.

She also mentioned that, besides the Shs237 million, about 12 families were each given Shs18 million, under Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF III), to improve their livelihoods.

She asked all affected districts to organise their statistics and data on the cases after discovering inconsistencies from the districts of Lamwo, Kitgum, Pader and Omoro (1,728 cases), the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development (1,864 households) and data from 2018 indicating 970 households with two cases each.

She asked that all data be rectified by Friday August 12 2022, if help is to be implemented in an orderly manner.

In a statement read by Kwiyocwiny, State Minister for Health General Duties, Hanifa Kawooya said that due to lack of accountability of the Shs1.334 billion, Ministry of Health no longer gets funds for nodding syndrome.

“To date, no accountability has been received, hence no more appropriations except for medicines to the National Medical Stores,” the statement reads in part.

However, Commissioner for District Services in Ministry of Local Government, Paul Okot Okello, said that nodding syndrome cases should be managed in homes since they are all old cases.

He advised leaders to make use of available government facilities and programs to figure out their own system to take care of their people.