Expert decries high kidney disease burden in Nigeria

The President, Nigerian Association of Nephrology, Dr. Adanze Asinobi, has expressed worry over the increasing number of Nigerians suffering from chronic kidney disease.

Asinobi, spoke at the association’s Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting on Wednesday in Kano.

She said the conference with the theme, “Current Concepts in Acute Kidney Injury Prevention and Management” was apt and geared towards reducing the disease burden in the country.

According to her, the association members across the country gathered in Kano to deliberate on current trends in the prevention and treatment of kidney disease or kidney injury.

She pointed out that the management of chronic kidney disease was capital intensive, beyond the reach of the poor and middle-income earners, hence the need for stakeholders’ collaboration to reduce the burden.

“We have a huge burden of acute kidney disease and is increasing in prevalence as countries around the world cannot cope with the cost of treatment,” she said.

Asinobi, therefore, called on the government to provide equipment in health facilities for the treatment of kidney diseases, urging corporate organisations and stakeholders to also assist in that direction.

She also made a case for kidney care to be included in the National Health Insurance Scheme to lessen the burden of the cost of treatment for the patient.

Other sub-themes of the conference include the Use of Continuous Renal Replacements Therapies in Developing countries, Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Origin, and Pregnancy-related Acute Kidney Injury.

(NAN)