Hydrocephalus is increasingly becoming a health threat in Uganda and in many African states. The disease can be referred to as an accumulation of fluids in the brain.
This watery fluid travels through the ventricles around the brain, down to the spinal cord, returning to the blood through special veins.
However when it doesn’t return to the blood as fast as it is produced, hydrocephalus develops. Some members of the society associate it with witchcraft.
About 30% of the children are born with hydrocephalus while 70% of the cases result from newborn infections (inflammation of the ventricles in the brain) and meningitis which block the vessels of the brain, preventing absorption and flow of the cerebrospinal fluid.
Other causes of hydrocephalus are congenital. As a result the fluid can’t get to the brain. This puts pressure on the brain, leading to increase in head size. This may also result from head injuries, tumours, scars and spinal bifida (spinal defect), according to Dr. Aisha Lukwago, a senior druggist in Kampala.
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