The cultural and religious construction of nodding disease among the Acholi people of northern Uganda

Abstract

Since 2009, medical experts and other scientists have tried to make meaning of the nodding disease. Their explanations neve1theless have not been satisfactory to the people of Acholi with no clear explanation on the causes of nodding disease. This has made it difficult to have the right treatment that can cure the nodding disease (ND). With the failure of science to provide a plausible explanation for nodding disease in Northern Uganda, alternative explanations have been sought, with the local people of Acholi finding solace in cultural and religious explanations. This thesis is a result of rigorous attempt to establish and analyse the cultural and religious perception of the people of Acholi about the manifestation, causes, diagnosis and treatment as well as effects of nodding disease among the Acholi of Northern Uganda. The study was qualitative in nature. It entailed use of interviews, observations and document reviews as the data collection methods. Both face to face and phone call interviews were used conveniently. In situations when physical meetings with respondents were not possible due to distance, phone call interviews proved as a convenient substitute to enlist the required information. The snow ball technique was used to identify and reach out to respondents with required information. Both in person and phone call interviews were conducted in Luo language, the language of the Acholi. All interviews were audio recorded, and later translated in English after the transcribing. Using observation method, the researcher observed the physical and social environment in which patients of ND lived as well as the day today interaction between the patient and the family members. Document review and analysis was usefully employed with scholarly resources in form of open access journals from the internet and other such printed articles and books. More relevant info1mation about nodding disease was got through mainstream and social media. The study findings revealed that the manifestation of nodding disease sta1ting by nodding of heads on sights of food. The associated cause according to cultural leaders, pointed out that evil spirits majorly believed to be as the result of LRA war. Based on this belief, spiritual cleansing of some areas was done to end nodding disease and this showed some response of no new infections of nodding disease in Acholi land. The disease left a huge negative impact in Acholi land especially in affected communities and families. These effects included; poverty in affected families, disability of the affected children and stigma among others. The researcher recommends cleansing of the whole Acholi land by cultural institution to avoid any other calamity unfolding in the land based on unmet cultural obligations.