hand over of the Heart Health for Kids Mobile Clinic donated by Life Health
Care Foundation, Groote Schuur Hospital
3 December 2007
Programme Manager
MEC for Health in Western Cape
Chairman and Managing Director of Life Health Care Group
Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town
Dean of Faculty of Health Sciences
Head of the Department of Medicine at University of Cape Town (UCT) and Groote
Schuur Hospital
Chief Executive officer (CEO) of Groote Schuur Hospital
All officials of the Department of Health and University of Cape Town
Staff of Groote Schuur Hospital
Members of the media
Honoured guest
Ladies and gentlemen
It is a pleasure for me to be part of this hand over of the sponsored Mobile
Clinic from the Life Health Care Foundation to the Department of Medicine here
Groote Schuur Hospital and to launch the "Heart Health for Kids" Project in
Cape Town. I believe that this project will enhance the Health of School
Children in Cape Town and I am glad that there is an intension to extend it to
the whole province of the Western Cape and ultimately to the Eastern Cape
province.
The health of our children is most important and wherever we can provide
additional support for optimising healthcare, we must commit to do so.
cardiovascular diseases contribute significantly to the disease burden and is a
major cause of morbidity and mortality in our country. As you know that chronic
diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer are the leading
causes of death worldwide.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) the total global deaths
amounted to 58 million in 2005. At least 35 million of these deaths (close to
60%) were due to these chronic diseases. What is important to recognise is that
the low and middle income countries, of which South Africa is one, are
contributing up to 80% of these deaths. WHO also indicated that cardiovascular
diseases, with a mortality rate of 17,5 million deaths were the leading cause
of death globally.
The social determinants of health including poverty, poor nutrition, lack of
social infrastructure and education, all contribute to the development and the
worsening of chronic disease. Heart disease is a good example, as we still
experience rheumatic fever which can lead to rheumatic heart disease and
destroy heart valves.
The prevalence of rheumatic heart disease in our country is still a major
cause of morbidity and in some cases mortality, compromising the quality of
life of our children and adults by damaged heart valves. As prevention is
always better than cure, we need to do everything possible to create an
awareness of how rheumatic heart disease can be prevented. Early recognition of
heart disease will assist with prevention of complications and can lead to
reduced morbidity and death.
It is for these reasons that I am happy to be part of this launch of the
"Heart Health for Kids" Project as it will raise awareness about rheumatic
fever and heart health. The unit that is being handed over today will assist in
the examination of the children by heart sonar/ultrasound to identify
unrecognised heart disease.
The project will assist in educating the public about the importance of
encouraging children to adopt heart healthy lifestyles inclusive of good
nutrition and regular physical activity and implementation of prevention
programmes for heart disease in the communities that are served by the Mobile
Clinic.
Children are not only our future, but the under 20 year old group make up
nearly 50% of our population. It is therefore important to educate children and
their parents about heart disease, how it can be prevented, recognised early
and treated. This project should help us to recognise those children with
undiagnosed heart disease and enable them to be managed early and
correctly.
We know that rheumatic heart disease is the commonest heart disease among
our children in our hospitals in South Africa. This can be stopped as rheumatic
fever is entirely preventable by the proper treatment of 'streptococcal' sore
throats with penicillin. Further episodes of rheumatic fever can be prevented
by the monthly injections of penicillin. These interventions should reduce the
prevalence of rheumatic heart disease.
The donation of this mobile heart clinic, that is fully equipped, will help
to prevent heart disease, recognise it early and improve the health of our
children. This project, though starting in the Vanguard Community of Langa and
Bonteheuwel, should extend as soon as possible to cover Cape Town and the rest
of the Western Cape. The Vanguard Project should become a best practice for our
country and Africa as rheumatic heart disease is a problem for the whole of
Africa especially Sub-Saharan Africa.
Let me commend the Life Health Care Foundation for this initiative and for
demonstration of social responsibility by contributing to the improvement of
healthcare of the disadvantaged members of our Communities. The Department of
Medicine at Groote Schuur hospital must be congratulated for conceptualisation
and successful launch of this project. We will be watching this project
carefully so as to learn from it.
The Faculty of Health Sciences and the University of Cape Town must also be
commended for this outreach project. Our tertiary education institutions must
be involved with the public health sector and make a positive contribution to
health care in South Africa.
I would like to thank all of you for attending this important event to
witness the launch of the "HEART HEALTH FOR KIDS = ASAP PROJECT" and the
handover of the fully equipped mobile clinic. I am sure the community will
benefit and appreciate the service.
Thank you.
Issued by: Department of Health
3 December 2007
Source: Department of Health (http://www.doh.gov.za)
