By Anthony Wesaka & Tonny Abet
What you need to know:
- Dr Richard Mugahi, the Commissioner for Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health at the Ministry of Health, said the burden of NCDs, particularly diabetes, has increased significantly in recent years.
Members of Parliament have been urged to embrace self-care and preventive health practices as Uganda grapples with a growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, cancer and hypertension
The call was made on Tuesday during an engagement involving the Ministry of Health, legislators and civil society organisations led by the Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) in Kampala
Dr Richard Mugahi, the Commissioner for Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health at the Ministry of Health, said the burden of NCDs, particularly diabetes, has increased significantly in recent years
“In the last five years, there is a gentleman who did a survey that indicated that in the last five years, from 2020 to now, the number of people living with diabetes has doubled,” he said
He urged MPs to use their positions to promote self-care and prevention in their constituencies, saying early detection and lifestyle changes can help reduce the impact of diseases that are increasingly becoming a public health concern
Self-care is the active practice of taking action to improve your own mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health. According to the World Health Organisation, it includes any deliberate choice you make to promote well-being, prevent illness, and manage stress
During the engagement, Ms Hadija Omar, a Makerere University School of Public Health staff member, shared her personal experience with obesity to demonstrate the importance of adopting healthier lifestyles
Ms Omar said she weighed about 122 kilogrammes in 2022 after experiencing excessive weight gain the previous year
“I have been overweight for most of my adult life. In 2021, that is when I experienced excessive weight gain, and in 2022, I realised I was 122 kilogrammes,” she said
She said her weight came with several health and social challenges, including high blood pressure, fatigue, body pains and low self-esteem
Ms Omar said the challenges motivated her to begin a weight-loss journey, including starting a dancing club at Makerere University School of Public Health that meets every Tuesday and Thursday
She said she has since lost almost half of the weight she earlier had but warned that maintaining a healthy lifestyle requires consistency
“I’m still on the journey because once you stop, the weight comes back. So I urge you people, to keep up with feeding and exercise. Can’t you see me now?” she said
Ms Omar said her journey has also involved challenges, including sagging skin and loss of muscle following weight loss. She has since incorporated muscle training into her routine to build a stronger body
She, however, said maintaining consistency remains difficult because of life stressors, calling for support from families and workplaces
“Self-care is something we need to observe and continuously do in order to have a long and healthy life,” she said
MP Josephine Bebona, chairperson of the Maternal Forum in Parliament, who represented legislators at the engagement, said MPs should lead the campaign for preventive healthcare in their constituencies
“We have committed to champion self-care. People are down there dying of prostate cancer without knowing. Some are dying of breast cancer. I recommend all of us to go preventive rather than curative,” she said
Ms Fatia Kiyange, the executive director of CEHURD, challenged the Health Committee of the 12th Parliament to complete health-related legislation that remained unfinished at the end of the 11th Parliament
She said Parliament should prioritise legislation intended to strengthen Ugandans’ access to quality healthcare and protect patients’ rights
Among the pending pieces of legislation she cited are the Human Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill, legislation to make the right to health explicit in Uganda, the Patients’ Rights Bill and laws to regulate clinical trials
She also called for a review of the Penal Code Act and HIV Prevention Act to reflect contemporary health realities, as well as legislation and policies addressing geriatric healthcare
Non-communicable diseases account for roughly 33% to 41% of all deaths in Uganda, with a 22% risk of premature death between ages 30 and 70. Major conditions include cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, and chronic respiratory illnesses
The stakeholders said stronger preventive healthcare, combined with legislative action and individual responsibility, could help Uganda reduce the growing burden of NCDs and ease pressure on the health system
