Featured, Health
With the rising cases of kidney failures in the country and the huge cost of treatment, medical experts have suggested improved level of awareness and regular health check-up in combating the deadly disease.
By Anthony Isibor
SINCE 2020 when the World Health Organisation report on deaths due to Kidney disease in Nigeria surged to 18,189 or 1.23% of total deaths, the figure has continued to rise. The data which was based on an age adjusted Death Rate of 23.87 per 100,000 of the population also put the country’s Kidney Disease Deaths at number 88 in the world.
To mark the 2024 World Kidney Day, the Federal Ministry of Health had estimated that Chronic Kidney Disease, CKD, affected more than 850 million people worldwide and resulted in over 3.1 million deaths in 2019 alone.
According to the report, kidney disease presently ranks as the 8th leading cause of death and if left unaddressed it is projected to be the 5th leading cause of years of life lost by 2040, adding that more than 25 million people are living with CKD in Nigeria.
It noted that one in 10 people worldwide suffer some degree of CKD at any age and that most kidney diseases are curable and preventable.
However, the ministry added that achieving optimal kidney care requires overcoming barriers at multiple levels, while considering contextual differences across world regions, including gaps in early diagnosis, lack of universal healthcare or insurance coverage, low awareness among healthcare workers and challenges to medication cost and accessibility and urged everyone to join in spreading the word of the importance of our kidneys.
The death of Nollywood star and comedy legend, Amaechi Muonagor, who died of kidney failures and the ministry of health’s disturbing revelations further buttresses the need for urgent attention to be paid on this rising health challenge and the need to engage in regular checks.
Causes of kidney failures:
The National Kidney Foundation has attributed diabetes and high blood pressure to be the two main causes of kidney failure, making up to about two-thirds of all cases.
It further added that other diseases that can lead to kidney failure, include IgA nephropathy, lupus nephritis, polycystic kidney disease, Fabry disease, and many others. Social and environmental factors also play a part in kidney disease.
Complications:
The National Kidney Foundation notes that Kidney failure can lead to other health problems or complications. Many people living with kidney disease have one or more complications. Kidney failure can increase your risk of heart disease or stroke. Other complications include: Anemia (low levels of red blood cells), Metabolic acidosis (buildup of acid in the blood), Mineral and bone disorder (when blood levels of calcium and phosphorus are out of balance leading to bone and/or heart disease) and Hyperkalemia (high levels of potassium in the blood)
Certain conditions can be both cause and complication (result) of kidney disease. These include high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
It is important to get regular check-ups to monitor these complications.
Tests:
The Foundation also says that urine and blood tests can check for signs of CKD. Estimated glomerular filtration rate, eGFR, is a blood test that checks how well the kidneys are filtering.
People with kidney failure have an eGFR of less than 15 for 3 months or more (confirmed with repeat testing to make sure you don’t have acute kidney injury, or they are on dialysis.
You may also need extra tests to monitor other conditions related to kidney disease.
Treatment:
There is no cure for kidney failure, but with treatment it is possible to live a longer and productive life.
Dialysis and kidney transplant are the two treatments for people with kidney failure. Dialysis treatments or a transplanted kidney will take over some of the work from your damaged kidneys and remove wastes and extra fluid from your body. This will make many of your symptoms better. You also have the option to choose not to pursue either option, also known as “conservative management.”
Dialysis: There are two types of dialysis- hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Both remove waste products and extra fluid from your blood.
Hemodialysis uses an artificial kidney machine, while peritoneal dialysis uses the lining in the belly. Hemodialysis treatments can be done at your home or in a clinic. Peritoneal dialysis is usually done at your home.
Kidney transplant: A kidney transplant is an operation that places a healthy kidney in your body. Conservative management focuses on your quality of life and managing symptoms without dialysis or a kidney transplant. Conservative management is also called comfort care, non-dialytic care, supportive care, or comprehensive conservative care.
There are many things to consider when choosing a treatment for kidney failure, including lifestyle, health problems or the need for someone to assist you. Your decision should be based on your medical history, a healthcare professional’s opinion, and on what you and your family want. Learning about your treatment choices will help you decide which is best for you.
The Nigerian health watch has, however, revealed some measures towards overcoming barriers to Kidney Health in Nigeria.
Speaking at this year’s World Kidney Day with the theme “Kidney Health for All– Advancing equitable access to Care and optimal medication practice”, it emphasized on the need to break the barriers that prevent access to kidney care, including lack of awareness, shortages of kidney specialist and cost of treatment.
Available studies in Nigeria, many of which are hospital based, suggest a high incidence in the country, especially in northeast Nigeria says Dr. Baba Waru Goni, the Chief Medical Director, CMD, of YSUTH.
He said that statistics from numerous studies and of patients seeking treatment at the YSUTH showed that communities residing along the Yobe river valley have the highest incidence of renal failure, and the exact cause in this axis is still unknown. Often, cases appear at the end stage, when the renal organs have suffered irreversible damage, leading to death.
Dr. Baba Waru Goni noted that Inadequate knowledge of risk factors, as well as the lack of preventative programmes, are contributing factors to the burden of CKD in Nigeria and called for collaborative efforts to uncover the root causes of CKD.
There is also the challenge of finance as patients with CKD in Nigeria find it extremely difficult to afford dialysis due to widespread poverty in the country.
According to the doctor, the cost of a single dialysis session varies from N30,000 to N50,000 and those with end-stage renal disease, often need two to three sessions per week, resulting in a weekly expenditure of about N100,000 or more.
However, medical experts have, however, cautioned that early detection remains the safest way to deal with the menace of kidney failures.
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-April 12, 2024 @ 16:50 GMT|
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