As the world commemorates World Heart Day 2025, Uganda has joined the global campaign with a renewed call to protect heart health under this year’s theme: “Don’t Miss a Beat.”
The event, held in Entebbe, brought together government leaders, health professionals, civil society, and community members to highlight the growing burden of heart disease and rally collective action for prevention and care.
The day began with a Heart Awareness Walk through Entebbe town, where participants demonstrated their commitment to heart health.
The walk concluded with a tree-planting exercise, symbolising life, resilience, and the nurturing required to keep both trees and hearts strong.
In her keynote address,Dr. Charles Olora ,Director General MOH, Uganda’s Minister of Health, emphasised that cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, claiming over 20 million lives annually.
In Uganda, CVDs are rising rapidly, particularly affecting the young and productive population.
“Today, one in four adults in Uganda lives with high blood pressure,” she noted. “Out of the 1.6 million babies born each year, an estimated 16,000 have congenital heart disease, half of whom need urgent surgery.”
To mark the occasion, the Uganda Heart Institute (UHI) provided free heart screenings for residents of Entebbe and surrounding communities.
Dr. Charles encouraged the public to take advantage of the screenings, noting that early detection can be lifesaving.
The Minister highlighted Uganda’s strides in expanding access to heart services beyond Kampala. Through decentralised heart care services, UHI has brought specialised interventions closer to people via:
Surgical camps in Mbarara, Jinja, and Lira
Monthly clinics in all 16 Regional Referral Hospitals
Capacity building for regional health workers
“These initiatives are saving lives and proving that heart care should not be a privilege for a few, but a right for all,” Dr. sDr. Charles Olora,stated
One of the most significant developments announced was the ongoing construction of a 250-bed, state-of-the-art Uganda Heart Institute Hospital in Naguru.
The facility is expected to be completed by 2027 and will serve as a one-stop center for cardiac care, training, and research.
Once completed, the hospital will: Reduce costly referrals abroad, Improve national capacity for heart disease treatment
Serve as a regional hub for cardiac research and innovation
Dr. Charles Olora ,closed her remarks with a direct appeal to all Ugandans: take ownership of your heart health. She urged individuals to:
Know their numbers, blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol
Avoid tobacco use, Eat a healthy diet, Stay physically active, Go for regular health checkups
“Let us leave here today with one message: ‘Don’t Miss a Beat.’ In every heartbeat lies the rhythm of life, family, and our nation,” she concluded.