Health ministry undersecretary, Dr. Ader Macar Aciek. (-)

An official of the Ministry of Health said cases of congenital heart conditions among children in South Sudan are alarming as 90% of those recently screened in Al-Sabah Hospital were diagnosed with the condition.

Undersecretary Dr Ader Macar Achiek made the remarks at Al-Sabah Children’s Hospital during a visit of the Israeli Ambassador to South Sudan to meet children recently treated with heart disease.

He pointed out that 90% of those screened recently were found to have life-threatening heart diseases.

“As reported in the most recent screening of 69 children, 63 of them were found to have heart complications, and roughly 91% had a life-threatening condition,” Macar said.

“It is a big percentage. And even it becomes more alarming when 59 needed heart surgery out of 63. But what can be better than finally knowing that 11 of these kids have already been successfully operated and fully healthy today.”

There is currently no data indicating the level of prevalence and pattern of congenital heart disease among children in the country.

According to US-based National Library of Medicine, congenital heart diseases (CHDs) are some problems with the heart structure at birth which lead to illness and death among children and adolescents.

Some congenital heart defects in children are simple and don’t need treatment while others are more complex and a child may need several surgeries done over a period of several years.

Dr. Ader believes the recent screening is an indication that the damage might be far worse in rural areas and many children might have died from heart conditions without being recorded.

“We have learned from this most recent screening and those of previous years that such heart conditions are so many in our population,” he said.

“As people who are entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of their lives, it’s important to think that so many such children have been lost before they are known.”

“We would identify and save more of such cases, I therefore once again bring to your leadership to consider the possibility supporting more frequent screening.”

Dr Ader appealed to the Israeli government to bring the facility closer through capacity building, given the burden of this condition among children in South Sudan.

An Israel-based organization, Save A Child’s Heart has helped many South Sudanese children with heart conditions.

It treats children suffering from congenital and rheumatic heart disease who have little access to care in their own countries.