Spatiotemporal Analysis of Nodding Syndrome in Northern Uganda 1990-2014
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Date
2020
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Scientific Research Publishing
Abstract
The emergence of nodding syndrome (NS) in Northern Uganda has generated
controversial views with respect to patterns, natural history, and aetiology
of the disease which is yet unknown. This study explored spatial patterns
of NS using spatial-temporal methods to establish its clustering patterns
across both space and time. Village and year of NS onset for individual patients
between the years 1990 and 2014 were entered as input for spatial and
temporal analysis in the 6 districts in northern Uganda where it is prevalent.
Our temporal results showed that NS onset started before the population was
moved in Internally Displaced People’s (IDPs) camps. It also shows that NS
continued to be reported during the IDPs and after people had left the IDPs.
Our spatial and spatiotemporal analysis showed that two periods had persistent
NS clusters. These were 2000-2004 and 2010-2014, coinciding with the
period when the population was in the IDP camps and when the population
was already out of the camps, respectively. Our conclusion is that the view of
associating NS outbreak with living conditions in IDP camps is thus coincidental.
We, therefore, contend that the actual aetiological factor of NS is still
at large.
Description
Keywords
Nodding Syndrome, Spatiotemporal, Spatial Analysis, Northern Uganda
Citation
Ongaya, K., Aturinde, A., Farnaghi, M., Mansourian, A., Maiga, G., Oyo, B. and Bagarukayo, E. (2020) Spatiotemporal Analysis of Nodding Syndrome in Northern Uganda 1990-2014. Health, 12, 180-193. https://doi.org/10.4236/health.2020.122015