By KT Reporter
The vast majority of life jackets used on the various water bodies across the country are of poor quality, which compromises the safety of the people who wear them.
A countrywide survey conducted in 60 lakeside districts, by the Makarere University School of Public Health, Center for Trauma, Injury and Disability, indicates that despite the high cost, the lifesaving jackets sold and used in Uganda do not meet the quality standard and may not serve the intended purposes.
The survey was conducted between 2018 and 2023, to inform interventions to prevent drowning incidents in the country.
Doctor Fredrick Opoliya, the Executive Director for the Center for Trauma, Injury and Disability reveals that together with teams from the Uganda National Bureau of Standards-UNBS, they subjected the life jackets to tests and established that the quality was wanting.
He says that in addition to those used by the different water users, the research teams also tested jackets in different outlet shops, and the results were the same, pointing to lapses in quality checks and enforcement during the importation of commodities in the country.
Dr. Opoliya has implored the government to take immediate action by strictly regulating the quality of life jackets that are imported into the country, to guarantee the safety of the users of the jackets in case of water accidents.
The research indicates that despite the poor quality, the lifesaving jackets are still expensive, owing to high importation taxes which also limit their utilization. On the open market, a piece of life jacket ranges between 70,000 to 100,000 shillings.
The research highlights that the country is faced with a high burden of drowning fatalities, which requires serious interventions for prevention at the government’s strategic level and community response.
Dr. Opoliya indicates that apparently, Uganda loses at least 3,000 lives to drowning every year, which ranks it among the countries with the highest drowning burdens globally.
Bruno Sande, the Marine Police Zonal Commander in charge of Lake Victoria East says they are aware of the challenge, which he says is being addressed through establishing partnerships that are aimed at increasing public awareness and training communities on survival swimming skills.
According to Sande, some people especially the fishermen are not even bothered to follow safety precautions such as testing the seaworthiness of their vessels when going on water, something that increases the risks of accidents.
He indicates that as the Marine Police Unit, they are going to raise the concern of the quality of lifesaving jackets with the higher authorities to invoke action-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
