Kampala — Germany Research Foundation has given Gulu University about sh661m to conduct a study to establish what proportion of epilepsy is caused by eating half -cooked pork.

According to the dean of the faculty of medicine, Prof. Emilio Ovuga, the four-year project which started this year, will cover the four districts of Gulu, Kitgum, Moyo and Adjumani.

"People acquire Tae-solium that causes epilepsy by eating half-cooked infected pork that develops into tape warm. Eating half cooked pork can result into epilepsy, especially among the children. In addition to causing epilepsy, it can cause blindness, paralysis or nervousness," Ovuga observed.

Ovuga explained during an interview at his office in the faculty of medicine on Tuesday that the prevalence of epilepsy among the pork eating community in the sub Saharan African is between 20% and 30%.

He stated that the magnitude of epilepsy infection as a result of eating half cooked pork in Uganda is not known. "The prevalence of epilepsy among pork eating community in Uganda is not known: This project aims at determining what proportion of epilepsy is contributed by eating half-cooked pork," Ovuga said.

The dean explained that the second component of the project was to establish a laboratory at Gulu University for the diagnosis of Tae-solium infections in human brains.

Ovuga said the result of the research would help the Government formulate appropriate public health interventions and sensitise the pork eating community on the risks associated with eating half-cooked pork.

He suggested that the infected pigs which cause epilepsy should be condemned and not eaten by people.

Ovuga said the project was also being implemented in Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa and Germany. He said that the research team had already collected biological materials from the pigs for laboratory testing.