MUBENDE: Uganda is one of the countries in Africa that is still caught up in alcohol consumption, according to the WHO report, it is estimated that Uganda currently consumes 12.2 liters of alcohol per person annually. This is much higher than the African region average of 6.3 liters, and the global average of 6.18 liters per person per year reflected in the WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health, 2018, which could lead to an increase in heart disease among citizens.
In celebrations of World Heart Day people were urged to take more care of their health through healthy eating, Doing physical activities, and awareness of their health status, as the government is doing its part.
The World Heart Day was celebrated in Mubende district at Kasana Playground, and was hosted by the Uganda Heart Institute and Mubende Regional Referral Hospital the Prime Minister of Uganda Hon Robina Nabbanja was the chief guest.
They checked more than 2,000 people in Mubende to inform them about their blood sugars, blood pressure, and other cardiac-related diseases and educated them on the importance of doing this regularly.
It is understood that non-communicable diseases have increased dramatically and are now the leading cause of death with one in four people living with the disease.
According to experts, Dr. Peter Lwabi, The Deputy Director of Uganda Heart Institute, it is said that some of the causes of heart-related diseases have been found that adding salt to already cooked food, eating too much sugar foods, and drinking too much Alcohol is most of causes cardiac diseases.
“We encourage you not to add raw salt to your diet, not to drink too much sugar and not to drink too much alcohol, if you drink too much alcohol you will find that your liver is sitting in water and causing heart disease,” Dr Peter Lwabi said.
The Host MP for Mubende Municipality Hon Bashir Lubega Ssempa has called on the government to step up and save the citizens by imposing a law against alcohol consumption.
“Recently you heard that Uganda was declared as one of the most alcoholic countries in Africa, but experts have told us that it is one of the causes of heart disease, Therefore I ask the Government to act like other governments in the world who have regulated the use of Alcohol by citizens let the government of Uganda to up with a law For those who cannot control their drinking styles which can cause them heart diseases”. Hon Bashir said.
Karimu Birungi, who lives in Mubende district, has been suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure for years said that although the government has been trying to raise awareness about these diseases and treat them, it has not done enough.
Prime Minister Robina Nabanja said the government is in the final stages of securing a contractor to build a 200-bed heart hospital in Naguru.
” The government of Uganda and Uganda Heart Institute are dedicated to putting an end the heart-related diseases through mass awareness, and putting up services near low developing areas including Mubende,” PM Nabanja said.
Mubende has about 1500 heart disease patients at present but of the 2.5 million cardiac-related deaths in 2021 according to WHO, it is estimated that 80 percent of deaths were in developing countries like Uganda.
