In the beautiful yet challenged Kigezi region, a silent crisis of disease and perinatal deaths continues to weigh heavily on families.
Health workers and community leaders are now calling for a major shift in how healthcare is delivered, urging a move from focusing solely on diseases to embracing a more compassionate, patient-centred approach.
This call came during the 4th Kigezi Regional Annual Health Sector Joint Performance Review, held at Volcano Hotel in Rubanda District. Organised by Kabale Regional Referral Hospital together with Ministry of Health and partners, the event focused on how governance and partnerships can potentially improve patient care across the region.
Mr Henry Kunya, an epidemiologist at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital, said pneumonia, road accidents and cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure, stroke and hypertension are the leading causes of death in Kigezi region.
The 2025/2026 statistics show that 801 babies lost their lives around birth, an alarming number that calls for urgent action.
Mental health is also a growing concern, with hundreds of cases of alcohol abuse, bipolar disorder, epilepsy, schizophrenia and anxiety recorded.
Maternal mortality remains high, with 55 mothers dying for every 100,000 births, while perinatal deaths stand at 13 per 1,000 births.
On a positive note, more than 317,000 HIV/Aids tests were done, identifying more than 3,300 cases, all linked to life-saving treatment.
Dr Birungi, a consultant from Rubanda Community General Hospital, appealed to local governments to pass laws curbing alcohol and drug abuse, which fuel many health problems. He also urged government to provide solar power to health centres without electricity to improve service delivery.
‘We need to ensure our health workers are well-trained, especially in essential newborn care,’ he emphasised, adding that some maternal deaths result from anaesthesia errors.
Dr Gilbert Mateeka, the Kabale District Health Officer, challenged health workers to think deeply about the experiences of their patients, from the moment they walk into a health facility until they leave.
‘Client-centred care is more than medicine. It’s about timely attention, compassion, respect,’ he said.
Dr Anne Marion Namutebi of Kabale Regional Referral Hospital, observed that alcohol-related illnesses continue to dominate hospital records, driving up cases of injuries, mental illness, and preventable deaths. She called for behaviour change to save lives and reduce government spending on treatment.
Dr Gerald Mutungi, the head of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) prevention and control programme at Ministry of Health, reminded health workers to avoid absenteeism and work tirelessly to tackle the region’s high perinatal death rates.
The event awarded Kabale District for best healthcare service delivery in Kigezi, with Rubanda and Kanungu following closely behind.
Kanungu, Kisoro, Kabale, Rukungiri, Rubanda, and Rukiga, the six districts that make up Kigezi region, face significant health challenges, but with renewed focus on leadership, partnerships and patient care, there is hope for healthier future for families.