Recent media report of growing incidence of kidney disease among Nigerians

Recent media report of growing incidence of kidney disease among Nigerians is worrisome and calls for urgent action by all levels of government in the country. Available information indicated that about 36.8 million Nigerians (or between 17 and 21 percent of the population) are down with various forms of kidney diseases in the country. Only recently at World Kidney Day, medical experts warned of a looming epidemic of kidney diseases in the country and urged the Federal Government to prioritise the treatment of the disease in Nigeria.

Indeed, an estimated 17,000 new cases of kidney failure are diagnosed yearly in the country with only 2,000 having access to life-saving dialysis. Medical experts identified 11 risk factors responsible for the rising cases of kidney failure in Nigeria. Among them are diabetes, hypertension, untreated microbial infections, especially urinary tract infections (UTI), diarrhoea, malaria, hepatitis, Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), potassium bromate poisoning, teething powder, and abuse of painkillers/analgesics.

Medical experts say that more Nigerians will die of kidney diseases due to poor regulation of the food consumed in the country. They note that some of the genetically modified foods in the country contain glysophate and dychlorophus with high toxicity that disrupts the function of the kidney as the excretory centre of the body. The toxins in them are strong enough to shut down the renal system, thereby resulting in more deaths.

Of late, many Nigerians are coming down with uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes, thus the prevalence of chronic kidney diseases (CKD) in the country. In addition, many pregnant women develop hypertension in the later part of pregnancy, resulting in high blood pressure, swollen legs and spill protein in the urine, their blood pressure can go so high that they convulse, leading to foetal loss or maternal death. But with good and early antenatal care, it can be diagnosed and nipped in the bud. On the other hand, gestational diabetes in women with high blood glucose if not well managed can lead to loss of the baby and chronic kidney disease for the women.

Initially, kidney disease was thought to be prevalent among old people between 60 and 70 years of age. But, with rising western lifestyle among the youth, kidney diseases became prevalent also among people between 20 and 50 years. This is more disturbing as the disease is more among those in the economically productive age and therefore has negative implications for the country’s development.

Kidney disease is one of the most expensive ailments to treat. One session of dialysis cost between N20,000 and N30,000 and with kidney failure the patient needs to undergo dialysis three times a week. It is a continuous treatment until the patient gets kidney transplant which costs between N6.5 million and N10 million.

Chronic kidney disease is preventable and many of its causes are treatable. This requires that patients are diagnosed early so that their diabetes and hypertension can be well managed to prevent renal failure. It will also slow down the deterioration rate of their kidneys, thereby ensuring adequate management of the underlying conditions. Patients must also meet their doctors timely and also take their medications as prescribed. If this is done, chances are that the rate of death associated with kidney failure will reduce.

Going forward, a situation where kidney disease attacks the active working population is a threat to the economy and the wellbeing of the people. It is a challenge to the government to improve health care facilities in the country. It calls for more public enlightenment and education on the causes of the disease, how it can be avoided and for those who have it, how it can be treated. Prevention of the disease is through good healthcare lifestyle and public enlightenment on how to avoid it. Insurance companies should also have health insurance scheme that enable them pay for the medicare of subscribers who are sufferers of kidney disease.

Apart from government efforts to stem the tide of the disease, Nigerians must henceforth shun all manners of risk behaviours and factors that predispose them to dangers of kidney failure, including excessive alcoholism, lack of physical exercises, smoking and use of certain harmful chemicals for house fumigation.

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