80,000 children need specialised education as sight, hearing impairments go undiagnosed

Josephine Nakayiza gave birth to her daughter normally. As the child grew and appeared to develop like other children, Nakayiza did not realise that she had a hearing problem in one ear.

"Whenever I called my daughter while standing on her right-hand side, she would answer very quickly. But when I called her from the left-hand side, she would take some time before responding," Nakayiza said.

She also noticed that her daughter's performance at school was poor, which she later linked to the hearing impairment.

"I decided to take her for a medical check-up to assess her hearing, and it was discovered that she had a hearing impairment in her left ear," she said.

Nakayiza was later able to secure sponsorship that enabled her daughter to receive a cochlear implant, an electronic device surgically placed in the ear that bypasses damaged parts of the ear and directly stimulates the auditory nerve, helping children who are deaf or severely hard of hearing to hear.

For Ruth Kisakye, her daughter's eyesight problem became apparent when the girl struggled to see clearly in class and had to sit at the back so she could see properly.

Her class teacher noticed that something was wrong after observing that the child's academic performance was declining and suggested that she have her eyesight checked.

Kisakye was relieved when she learnt that free eye surgery services had been brought to her home district of Buvuma, allowing her daughter to receive treatment at no cost.

"I did not have the money to pay for my daughter's eye treatment, which is quite expensive. The cost of travelling from Buvuma to Kampala, where these services are available, was also a challenge," Kisakye said.

Dr Edward Kakungulu, president of the Association of Surgeons of Uganda (ASOU), said sight and hearing problems were affecting the academic performance of many school-going children.

He said Ministry of Health statistics for 2024 indicate that approximately 1.5% to 3.1% of school-age children experience hearing difficulties, while an estimated 4.5 children out of every 1,000 in Uganda have low vision.

The ministry also estimates that about 80,000 young people with severe visual impairments require specialised inclusive education resources.

"When children with hearing impairments are in class, they can hardly hear what the teacher is teaching. When they are given examinations, they may not be able to answer the questions correctly," Kakungulu said.

"For children with sight problems, they may not be able to see what is written on the blackboard. As a result, they may struggle to spell words correctly or write accurate statements and phrases in examinations," he added.

Kakungulu said the impairments could contribute to school dropout, delayed literacy and poor academic progression when they are not identified and addressed early.

He said this was one of the reasons ASOU included preventive services in a free surgical camp conducted in 10 districts in the central region: Wakiso, Mukono, Buikwe, Buvuma, Kayunga, Nakaseke, Nakasongola, Kiboga, Luweero and Kyankwanzi.

The camp ran from September 12 to 19, 2026.

"We sent medical teams to schools in these communities to screen children for eyesight and hearing problems because many children struggle at school simply because they cannot see clearly. In some cases, no one has ever checked their eyesight to determine whether they need glasses," Kakungulu said.

He said some children were also found to have hearing difficulties that had never been assessed.

"Our teams found that some children could not hear properly, and no one had ever tested their ears to determine whether they could be helped. We treated those who required surgical intervention and will continue to support the children we identified with these challenges so they can lead productive lives," Kakungulu said.

He added that medical teams also visited schools to screen children for congenital anomalies and sickle cell disease, with the aim of identifying conditions early and preventing complications.

Kakungulu said all the services were provided free of charge.

He spoke to New Vision Online on October 2, 2026.