The Uganda Heart Institute’ Successful Closed Heart Surgery Camp in Jinja – June 2024
The Uganda Heart Institute (UHI) conducted a successful Closed Heart Surgery Camp at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital (JRRH). The camp ran from Monday, June 17th to Friday, June 21st, 2024, marking a significant milestone in our mission to decentralize advanced heart care across Uganda.
Purpose and Goals
Over the course of the week, teams from UHI and JRRH worked tirelessly to provide life-saving surgeries and treatments to children with congenital heart defects. Initially, ten children were carefully selected and screened for these specialized surgical interventions. By the end of the camp, surgeries on eight children were successfully completed, with all of them in stable condition and recovering well. Unfortunately, two children were deemed unfit for surgery at that time, but they will be optimized and rescheduled for surgery at UHI in Kampala.
Decentralizing Heart Care
Our decision to bring these services to Jinja was part of our broader strategy to decentralize advanced heart care, ensuring high-quality health services were accessible to all Ugandans, regardless of their geographical location. By conducting these camps in regional centers, we reduced the burden of travel and associated costs for families, making it easier for them to access the care they needed. This initiative also fostered stronger collaborations between UHI and regional hospitals, enhancing the capacity of local healthcare professionals through shared knowledge and training, ensuring a sustainable improvement in the quality of cardiovascular care at the regional level.
Previous Success and Focus
Jinja was the second district to host this initiative. Our journey began in October 2023 with the inaugural closed heart surgery camp at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital. The success of that camp laid a strong foundation for the continuation and expansion of this program.
During these closed heart surgeries, our primary focus was on children born with Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), a congenital heart defect that can be life-threatening if left untreated. Through our tireless efforts, we ensured that these young lives were given the opportunity to thrive and flourish, free from the shadows of this life-altering condition.
The Burden of Heart Disease in Children
Globally, congenital heart defects affect about 1 in every 100 children, translating to approximately 1.35 million babies born with heart defects each year. In Africa, an estimated 300,000 newborns are affected annually. In Uganda, around 15,000 children are born each year with heart defects, highlighting the urgent need for specialized care and interventions.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of death worldwide, responsible for approximately 17.9 million deaths each year. In Uganda, heart diseases significantly contribute to our mortality and morbidity rates. As the Uganda Heart Institute, our mandate charged us with the responsibility to undertake and coordinate the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases in Uganda. We aimed to empower local capacity to handle super-specialized heart services and oversee other public health centers, which, while not super-specialized, were pivotal in handling heart-related services.
Future Plans
Looking ahead, we have planned more of these essential camps throughout the next financial years. Our mission is to bring specialized heart care closer to all corners of the country.
Acknowledgments
We extend our sincere appreciation to the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Health, the management and staff of JRRH, our dedicated team at UHI, and all our partners and stakeholders who made this initiative possible.
