Heart Disease Burden Rises as 16,000 Babies Are Born With Defects Annually

What the report says

Uganda’s heart disease burden is rising across age groups, according to the Uganda Heart Institute, which says congenital defects, rheumatic heart disease and lifestyle-related conditions are affecting newborns, children and adults. Nile Post reports that the institute’s executive director, Dr John Omagino, estimates about 16,000 babies are born with congenital heart defects each year, and that roughly half of them need surgery to survive and live normally. The institute also says hypertension is affecting about one in four adults, with many people unaware they have it because it can develop without obvious symptoms.

The article says school-age children are increasingly being diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease, often linked to untreated throat infections and poor living conditions. Among adults, the main concerns include high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. Omagino argues that prevention, early diagnosis and timely treatment could control most heart disease cases and reduce the number of patients needing specialised care.

Nile Post reports that the Uganda Heart Institute has expanded its surgical services, moving from long waiting lists to routine procedures. It now carries out open-heart and closed-heart surgeries weekly and has extended some services to regional hospitals in Mbarara, Jinja and Lira. The institute is also building a new cardiac hospital, which is said to be about 75% complete and could raise national capacity, lower the cost of treatment compared with referrals abroad, and support training and research in cardiovascular medicine.