Institute of Medicine's Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education

Abstract

Since 2009, a mysterious neurologic condition has afflicted thousands of northern Ugandan school children. This fatal disorder-known as nodding disease-leaves its victims stunted, mentally incapacitated, and often severely scarred or burned due to unexpected falls from epileptic-like seizures.(1,2) The syndrome is characterized initially by cognitive impairments followed by frequent head-nodding episodes that give the disorder its name. Over time there is a progressive deterioration of the child's condition that can result in death often from secondary conditions like malnutrition and injury. The disease dates as far back as the 1960s and can be found in neighboring countries, Tanzania and Sudan, where the syndrome was first described.