Ambrose Ganshanga, a 29-year-old occupational therapist in western Uganda, works with children with spina bifida. Spina bifida is a congenital anomaly (commonly referred to as a birth defect) in which the spinal column does not develop normally during the first weeks of pregnancy. This causes permanent damage to the spinal cord and nervous system, and can result in paralysis of the lower limbs or problems with bowel and bladder function.

About 80-90% of babies with spina bifida also develop hydrocephalus, a condition that causes fluid inside the head to build up, causing pressure to increase and the skull to expand to a larger than normal size. It can also cause convulsions, tunnel vision, mental disability or death.