Experts correct hearing defects in two children at C-Care
A team of international and local ear, nose and throat(ENT) have successfully carried out several cochlear implants to provide electronic hearing device for two children who were born deaf.
This was through a partnership between C-Care IHK in Namuwongo, Med-El and Kampala Audiology and Speech Centre.
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“The surgeries are part of the celebrations of the international hearing day. The hearing burden in the country is about 1.5 million people and it is projected it is going to grow to about 2.5 million people in the next few years. However, through such partnerships, we have been able to offer efficient world-class surgical procedures to Ugandans, saving patients millions of shillings in travel and accommodation expenses abroad,” Dr.Miriam Mutero, the General Manager of C-Care IHK said on Saturday.
Cochlear implants are done when hearing aids don’t provide the clarity of sound needed to understand speech and spoken language.
These surgeries are done on mainly children below four years.
On Saturday, C-Care IHK carried out its 34th cochlear implant.
According to Dr. Thomas Rasse , an ENT surgeon from Austria who was in charge of the surgeries said throughout the years, Ugandan surgeons have acquired the necessary experience to carry out the surgeries locally and without assistance from foreign surgeons.
Fiona Kamya, an audiologist at the Kampala Audiology Speech Centre said the surgeries were meant to provide viable solutions to people.
“ As a partnership, our main aim is to provide solutions to the hearing problem among Ugandans. According to World Health Organisation, the prevalence of the hearing impairment will by 2050 be around 700 million people globally and in Uganda in children below three months it is 1.2% but as thy grow older, it increases and by the time we get to adults it is around 11%,” Kamya said.
Causes
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 80% of the world's approximately 120 million people with hearing impairment live in developing countries like Uganda, and cochlear implant is the only therapeutic intervention for those with severe-profound sensorineural hearing loss.
Hearing impairment is one of the commonest disabilities prevalent in Uganda, hindering some of those affected from living productive lives.
According to Uganda Bureau of statistics, as of 2023, there were 1.2 million Uganda with hearing disabilities, or totally deaf.
According to the audiologist from the Kampala Audiology Speech Centre, there are so many causes of hearing impairment.
“One of the causes especially in children is congenital from the genes that happen while in the uterus, infections, mumps ,measles and trauma all cause hearing impairment. With this partnership, we provided solutions to children with hearing impairment,” she said.
Dr.Miriam Mutero, the General Manager of C-Care IHK said they remain committed to offering quality and accessible healthcare to Ugandans of all divides.
“Every day comes with a different healthcare challenge and the onus is on us as healthcare providers to keep upgrading through technology, innovation and expert training to ably provide the solutions on home ground.”
