KAMPALA – Experts have urged mothers of newborns to have their babies undergo a hearing screening test 24 hours after birth.
The appeal came during the commemoration of World Hearing Day hosted by C-Care IHK Hospital in Namuwongo, in partnership with Kampala Audiology and Speech Centre (KASC).
“We are encouraging mothers of newborns to submit your child to hearing screening test to ensure their health and safety,” said Fiona Kunobwa, Managing Director, Kampala Audiology and Speech Centre.
Kunobwa said that hearing screening among infants is very important to determine if they have a problem in hearing, especially during their early development because it can affect their ability to communicate effectively.
She added that through hearing, babies develop speech and language skills by listening and imitating sounds from the environment.
It enables them to bond with their parents and other members of the family through voice recognition and understanding verbal cues.
“Infants acquire knowledge through auditory stimulation and any delay or impairment in hearing can significantly impact an infant’s cognitive, social, and emotional development,” she said.
C-Care IHK Hospital, Kampala Audiology & Speech Centre conduct successful cochlear surgery procedures
On Saturday C-Care IHK Hospital in partnership with KASC and Medel conducted two life-changing cochlear surgery procedures, bringing joy to the beneficiary children and their parents.
The two procedures were performed by surgeons at C-Care IHK, the first private hospital to carry out cochlear implant surgeries in Uganda.
Cochlear implant surgery is the process through which an electronic device is planted in the part of the ear that improves or creates one’s ability to hear and react to sounds around them. This is an advancement in medical technology for individuals with severe to profound hearing loss as the last option of treatment for children and adults who fail to respond to hearing aid options and other solutions. The first such surgery in Uganda was performed at C-Care IHK in 2021. At least 34 similar surgeries have been conducted between the tC-Care IHK and Kampala Audiology and Speech Centre.
Making these surgeries available in Uganda has altered the management of deaf persons in Uganda, said Dr. Miriam Mutero, the General Manager, C-Care IHK.
Dr. Mutero described the surgery as a door to future opportunities for Ugandans to easily and ably access health services locally, that were in the past only got abroad, and at a much higher cost.
“As the first private hospital in Uganda to perform cochlear implant surgeries, we are both elated and humbled to have reached the 22 Cochlear surgeries’ milestone but most importantly for changing the lives of children who had lost hope of ever seeing again,” said Dr. Mutero, adding that C-Care has built the largest private healthcare network in Uganda to offer quality and accessible healthcare.
“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.”
Dr. Louis Okema, the head of the audiology department at Gulu University and a visiting specialist at C-Care IHK who led the surgery team, was excited about the successful surgeries and lauded the team of specialists and nurses who made the procedures successful.
“I deeply extend my appreciation to Kampala Audiology and Speech Centre for partnering with us in our quest to improve the health of more Ugandans through life-changing health procedures such as these,” he said.
Ms Josephine Likichom, an audiologist at Kampala Audiology and Speech Centre, said the surgeries cost between $13,000 (Shs 50.8 million) and $16,000 (Shs 62.5 million) the prices could double if done abroad.
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 most common disabilities prevalent in Uganda, hindering some of those affected from living productive lives.
According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, as of 2023, there were 1.2 million Uganda with hearing disabilities, or totally deaf.
