By Enatu Steven
The director Uganda heart institute Dr. John Omagino has said the cases of heart disease is increasing in Uganda with at least one child out of hundred suffering from the condition.
In Uganda 1.6million babies are born every year and with the above statistics, it indicate that 16000 babies are born with heart disease in Uganda yearly.
According to Dr. Omagino the complications are not past from one person to another but rather a lifestyle like high input of foods rich in carbohydrates beyond what is required in the body and later turn to fats leading to heart disease. It blocks the vessels and the person will find a simple task hectic.
He said the situation requires urgent and early diagnosis for intervention. He was speaking to the judiciary team during the health camp at Soroti court.
If not corrected in children, heart disease will cause death among young children below the age 5 years. Without early intervention, 50% of them would require operations
Heart operation is an expensive exercise that cost 10 dollars equivalent to 40million Uganda shillings according Dr Omagino.
Dr Omagino said the situation is alarming in adults with one in every four adults whether village or town have heart disease. This is accelerated by obesity and hypertension.
To address this, government of Uganda has come up with some measures like physical exercise as a directive to all employing sites to have two physical exercise days a week and the nation exercising days twice a year; one in June 16th.
He said local government will soon stop issuing license to any school to operate without a physical exercising field.
Dr. Omagino said the government has also now created position for cardiologists in the new structure for the health sector.
” We have picked doctor’s from each region who are doing fellowship on managing heart disease. This is to help combat the situation” he said.