By KT Reporter
Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, has been identified as the highest cause of illnesses in the Lango sub-region.
Statistics from Lira Regional Referral Hospital, which serves over 2.6 million people from the Lango sub-region and beyond, indicate that in the year 2024, over 3,500 cases of illness registered at the hospital were caused by hypertension.
The other causes of illnesses include dental caries, Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), allergic conjunctivitis, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) and sickle cell anemia, among others.
In the first WHO Global report on high blood pressure released in 2023, high blood pressure and its associated complications were found to affect over one billion people worldwide, remaining a significant public health concern and contributing to the onset of cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and premature death.
According to the report, only 54 percent of adults with hypertension are diagnosed, 42 percent receive treatment, and a mere 21 percent have their hypertension controlled. The signs and symptoms of high blood pressure include unnecessary fatigue, swelling on the lower limbs, which is an indication of organ problems, and constant headaches, among others.
Dr. Andrew Odur, the Acting Hospital Director, is concerned that the burden is high and wonders what it will be like in the next 10 years. With the high incidence of hypertension, Dr. Odur says there is a need to strengthen dialysis services.
Dr. Betty Nabongo says most patients receiving dialysis services at the hospital had a history of hypertension. Currently, there are 25 patients with chronic kidney disease and 3 with acute kidney injury (AKI).
“When blood pressure is not checked and controlled, it will continue to go to another system, and the system that is very sensitive to it is the kidneys. The system begins to get exhausted, they become tired, and they start sitting back; they will not now be unable to do at a certain time and in that period, you now begin to develop evidence of kidney failure.”
Dr. Jimmy Alal, a medical officer at Lira Referral Hospital, attributed the high prevalence of hypertension to poor health-seeking behavior, feeding on non-nutritious foods and inactivity, which all lead to the accumulation of fats in the body. “Once you end up storing a lot of these lipids in the body, you tend to swell. Somebody becomes big compared to the size that you’re supposed to be.”
Alal implored people to embrace regular medical checkups and adhere to medication once diagnosed with hypertension to avoid more complications.
High blood pressure is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease in Uganda, accounting for more than 50 percent of cardiovascular-related deaths each year. Data shows that more than 25 percent of adults have high Blood Pressure with lack of awareness being the main barrier to achieving satisfactory control rates-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
