Health: Manafwa village health teams get life

________________ For many years, parents in Bugisu sub-region and other parts of the country have attributed their children's neurological ailments to witchcraft from their neighbours or relatives. Justin Chelengat, a clinical officer at Bubulo Health Centre IV in Manafwa district, says she once received a mother whose child was suffering from hydrocephalus yet she was insisting that an old woman in her village had cast spells on the child. "The child was in a bad condition, but the mother was convinced that her child had been bewitched by an old woman she [child] met a village well. She explained that she had taken her child to many witchdoctors in both Kenya and Uganda; they had all told her it was witchcraft. On examining the child, however, I discovered that he [child] was suffering from hydrocephalus. We treated the child, but unfortunately the child later passed away. They came to hospital late," she told New Vision. Such stories were among those that came to the fore during the training of more than 100 members of village health teams in Manafwa district on the handling of children who suffer from neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, autism and muscular dystrophy. The training was conducted by health workers from Bubulo Health Centre IV , Butiru Crisco Hospital, as well as students from the University of West England in the UK and Makerere University at the premises of New Dawn International Hidden People's Home in Butiru sub-county, Manafwa district on July 10. The training was funded by the University of West England in partnership with New Dawn International Hidden People's Home in Manafwa district . During the training, the village health teams received training in the care of children with neurological conditions and how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Speaking to the village health teams on Friday, Dr Miriam Mukhaye from Bubulo Health Centre IV, cautioned communities against stigmatising children with neurological conditions and attributing their condition to witchcraft. "We know what has been happening in the communities out there. People regard these children as wasted and not worth taking care of . Parents even give them stigmatising names such as Watoya (retarded one) and hide them in their backyards. Please, stop these practices because they send these children into depression. Seek treatment so that the conditions are managed," she advised. Dr Mukhaye further cautioned mothers to seek antenatal care from health facilities as a way of preventing neurological conditions among children before they are born .