High heart disease cases among youth worries government

Oct 01, 2017

According to the recent Uganda Health Demographic Survey, 1% of 16,000 babies born annually suffer from heart complications.

PIC: Opendi being shown medical equipment used in treating heart disease and carrying out surgery

HEALTH | HEART DISEASE


The Government has expressed concern about the increasing cases of heart disease among children and the youth.

According to the recent Uganda Health Demographic Survey, 1% of 16,000 babies born annually suffer from heart complications.

"The majority of heart patients are relatively young. This is the most productive population and, therefore, there is urgent need to combat it," Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda stated.

Rugunda, said the problem has become an economic burden to the country,

His remarks were delivered by the state minister for health, Sarah Opendi, during the celebrations to mark World Heart Day in Lugogo, Kampala on Friday. 

The Prime Minister asked the population to eat healthy and do regular exercise.

 

 

 



He attributed alcohol and smoking as other factors causing heart complications among young people and called for an alcohol policy to fight the vice.

"We need to tackle alcohol and smoking in schools," he said.

He revealed that the alcohol policy would soon be tabled before Cabinet.

Rugunda also informed hundreds of people who turned up to celebrate the event and also undergo medical checkup that government places emphasis on prevention and early detection, rather than going for open heart surgery which is very expensive.

He appealed to Uganda Heart Institute to step up campaigns to create awareness among the citizenry.

 



Dr. John Omagino, the executive director of Uganda Heart Institute, appealed to the Government to allocate the institute housed in Mulago Hospital more space to handle the increasing heart patients and also establish regional referral centres.

Omagino said heart disease is preventable by having regular medical checkups, change of lifestyle, as well as doing regular exercises.

 

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});