Kidney is one of the most vital organ in human body. It has a lot to do in the body and today a doctor has spoken on the major causes of kidney disease in Nigeria. He mentioned that hypertension, diabetes and chronic infections such as hepatitis B and C, and HIV, sickle cell anaemia, painkillers, and bleaching creams as major causes of Chronic Kidney Disease in Nigeria (CKD).
More than 20 million Nigerians are living with kidney disease and no fewer than 20,000 of the number are coming down with End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) yearly requiring dialysis or/and transplant to stay alive, according to medical experts.
Medical experts who spoke to The Guardian said 100 persons per every million population, that is, at least 20,000 people yearly get to the stage where they need dialysis and or transplant. They said it costs ₦600,000 monthly to put one patient on dialysis monthly and ₦10 million for perform kidney transplant in Nigeria.
They identified hypertension, diabetes and chronic infections such as hepatitis B and C, and HIV, sickle cell anaemia, painkillers, and bleaching creams as major causes of Chronic Kidney Disease in Nigeria (CKD).
They blamed the spike in cases of CKD in parts of northern Nigeria, especially in IDP camps on disruption in everyday life, especially in health services in the region due to insecurity. They said most people with hypertension, diabetes and chronic infections are not aware and are not accessing treatment because of disruption in health services.
The medical experts, however, said the situation is being investigated as CKD of unknown origin may have surfaced, but requires funds for research to accomplish.
A foremost nephrologist in Nigeria and member of the team that performed the first successful kidney transplant in Nigeria at St Nicholas Hospital, Lagos, Dr. Ebun Bamgboye, told The Guardian, yesterday: “People of black African origin generally have a greater likelihood of developing kidney problem from all the conditions that eventually lead to it than all the other racial groups.
“We are four times more likely and the reason being that we inherit the gene known as Apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) and that gene was originally meant to protect us from trypanosomiasis, that is sleeping sickness, but sleeping sickness is no longer common in our environment but those who inherited that unfortunately are also prone to develop kidney problem.”
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