Right now, am reading with shock a news Headline on the front page of The New Vision of Wed 25 January, 2012, titled “Nodding disease kills 200 children in north”! In the news, 200 children have died from Nodding disease, 3,000 children are reported affected by January 2012, yet a month ago, the figure of affected kids was 2,000. Dr Mbonye, the Commissioner for Health Services in the Ministry of Health fears that the disease could be spreading to Lango, and that EACH FAMILY IN TUMANGU SUB COUNTY IN KITGUM DISTRICT” has a case of “Nodding disease” – yet we are all very busy, fighting corruption, going for retreats in Kyankwanzi, walking to work, preparing for the visit to Uganda of 2,000 MPs from around the world, and collecting signatures for the federal referendum.
Fellow Countrymen and women, for once, LET’S ALL DROP EVERYTHING AND UNITE AGAINST “NODDING DISEASE”. This epidemic is worse that AIDS, it is MORE IMPORTANT than oil, it is the kind of thing for which parliament should be called back from recess immediately.
A month ago, Acholi MPs proposed that Acholi Sub Region be declared a disaster area but nobody paid attention to them, so they also went on their normal business.
• Madam Speaker, please recall parliament immediately to discuss this catastrophe and do not discuss anything until a satisfactory process to deal with the catastrophe has been reached.
• Please any MP, not necessarily from Acholi, re-table the demand that the worst affected areas be declared disaster areas.
• Please Cabinet, scale down all expenditure that are not life-saving and avail funds for the onslaught against “Nodding disease”
• Please Govt, declare three National Days to solely reflect on “Nodding disease”, during which all people of good will should travel to Tumangu Sub County, at their own expense, no per diems, no transport refunds, to listen and get first-hand testimony from people living with “Nodding disease” .
• Please Opposition, during those three days, do not ridicule any efforts or apportion blame. For the first time in the history of independent Uganda, let the world see a Uganda united in the horror of “Nodding disease”, by having all leaders of political parties sitting together, listening to the horrific tales of the disease from the victims and their parents. Let the people of Acholi get solace from seeing a united front of Uganda’s leaders, against the disease.
• Let the “United Against Nodding Disease National Days” be a Friday, Saturday & Sunday so that all places of worship plead with God to give us a solution to this deadly monster.
• Let’s lock partisan politics out of “United Against Nodding Disease national Days”
If Govt cannot spearhead this, in the spirit of non-partisanship, let it be the leadership of Acholi to lead us in this crusade, we shall all show solidarity.
Beti Olive Namisango Kamya-Turwomwe
PRESIDENT
UGANDA FEDERAL ALLIANCE
Comments
Bravo Bravo ….. Olive i always believed you have the nation at your heart. Your call for National unity against Nodding disease is a sign of true nationalism. Its time we start uniting on issues that help the Ugandan people than going on streets demonstrating and throwing stones at police and blaming the sitting government. Bravo my sister bravo.
I remain IAN.
it is good that someone like you has realised that a lot of time is being wasted on activities like walk to work that are unprofitable yet there are people dying.it shows that there is a nationalistic figure in you.therefore madam betty, why not talk to the rest, donot blame anyone for the disease and just get to work and eradicate the disease.it is good that for this one time you have been humane enough.