Medical director wants intervention fund for patients with kidney failure
A consultant nephrologist, Dr Abdulwasiu Busari, has decried the increasing rate of kidney diseases in Nigeria, saying it is currently about 20 to 25 per cent.
Busari, who works at the Renal Department, Gbagada General Hospital, Lagos, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Lagos, in commemoration of the World Kidney Day celebration.
The World Kidney Day is celebrated annually on the second Thursday in March aimed at raising awareness on the importance of kidneys to overall health.
It is also aimed at reducing the frequency and impact of kidney disease and associated health problems worldwide.
This year’s theme is: “Living Well with Kidney Disease.”
“Out of every 10 people we see, two or three have Chronic Kidney Disease, and it has been increasing yearly.
“The situation is now so bad that you see a lot of patients soliciting for financial assistance to meet their medical needs.
“It is not only adults that are affected with kidney disease, even children have the disease,” he said.
The nephrologist attributed the increasing prevalence of chronic kidney disease to rise in the risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, abuse of drugs, intake of herbal concoction, obesity among others.
He listed other major causes as Chronic Glomerulonephritis, Obstructive Uropathy (prostate enlargement, urethral structure, fibroids, bilateral kidney stones, bladder cancers).
They are toxic nephropathy (Herbal concoctions, analgesic abuse, antibiotics abuse, hard drugs), HIV/AIDS, genetic disease (Adult Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease) and autoimmune diseases.
Busari said that most people diagnosed with chronic kidney disease were not aware that they have kidney disease, thus most present late at the hospital.
“What is of concern to us as nephrologists is that only one third of these people know that they have kidney disease when they come to the hospital.
“Most times when they come to the hospitals, they complain about treating recurring malaria and typhoid fever.
“When we do our investigations through tests, we discover that the patients may have an advanced stage of chronic kidney disease which is often irreversible.
“That’s when they need dialysis or transplant,” he said.
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