Data crucial to addressing kidney treatment – Minister

Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire has said that the collation of a comprehensive data and the need to establish national as well as sub-regional chronic kidney disease registries for both dialysis and transplantation is crucial to tacking kidney disease.

“There is also need to increase the number as well as the distribution of units offering these services,” he added

Enahire made the statement at the International Conference/Public Lecture tagged: “Chronic kidney disease: Stop the epidemic in Africa; kidney health for everyone, everywhere) in commemoration of World kidney Day recently in Lagos.

The minister who was represented by Dr. Bello Babawale of the Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, said the number of units offering dialysis and kidney transplantation in the country have steadily increased in the last few years.

According to him, the increase has taken place both in the public and private sectors, adding that the government through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was providing funding for both acute dialysis and kidney transplantation to individuals registered with the scheme.

He however, encouraged screening of all patients with diabetes and hypertension for kidney disease and advised education of all medical professionals on their key role in detecting and reducing the risk of kidney disease, particularly in high risk populations.

For him, the important role of local and national health authorities in controlling the kidney disease epidemic is necessary.

On the way forward, he disclosed that if detected early, there is a possibility of preventing kidney failure, disclosing that transplantation as a best-outcome option for kidney failure and the act of organ donation as a life-saving initiative is key.

“Also funding, policy and regulation and stopping the tide of brain drain would also go a long way in reducing kidney disease,” he said.

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Speaking on the current situation in Nigeria, Enahire said that the Nigerian Association of Nephrology had established a national renal registry.

He also revealed that the mapping of states with high prevalence of kidney disease and evaluation of the aetiology like Yobe state with suspected high levels of heavy metals in the ground water and a mandatory diabetes screening of all patients attending federal government hospitals is ongoing.

Also speaking, the Lagos state First Lady, Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu said that kidney disease is widely acknowledged to be a major terminator of lives, hence, the need for the state government to intensify awareness.

She pointed out that hospital-based findings revealed that about 13 per cent of Nigeria’s population suffer from chronic kidney disease, which is capable of leading to kidney failure and result in death.

According to her, this percentage does not include patients who lack access to hospital care.

”However, available data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) equally show that about 2 million people in Lagos state are suffering from kidney disease

”For the administration of Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, this is not acceptable and concerted efforts are being made to create awareness on the causes of the disease and the prevention methods to adopt to nip it in the bud and stop it from afflicting the people,” she stated.