Promoting kidney health and providing support for the vulnerable: Nephrologists offer practical solutions.
The global celebration of World Kidney Day on March 9th raises awareness about chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, on March 22nd, 2023, the Lagos Health Summit created another platform to increase awareness about kidney health, particularly among vulnerable populations, with the goal of reducing the frequency of kidney disease.
CKD affects one in ten people worldwide and is an incurable disease that requires lifelong care. In Nigeria, CKD is a pandemic affecting people regardless of their age, gender, body size, income level, or education.
During the Twitter session, Dr. Ajibola Sanda, a Nephrologist and CEO of Nue Healthcare Partners, and Dr. Adegboyega Faponle, a Consultant Nephrologist at Zenith Medical and Kidney Centre (ZMKC) who has overseen over 500 transplants in Nigeria, thoroughly discussed the causes, prevention, and reduction of kidney disease prevalence.
Dr. Sanda explained that while diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease globally, chronic glomerular nephritis, diabetes (DM), and hypertension are the leading causes in Nigeria. Other causes include HIV/AIDS, lupus, sickle cell disease (SCD), excessive use of painkillers, and a genetic condition called Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD). Dr. Faponle added that a gene called APOLIPO-1, present in every black person, is also a cause of CKD. He said
when this gene is unmutated, it is protective against Trypanosoma infections, but when mutated, it puts people at a higher risk of CKD.
The space addressed prevention strategies at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, including advocacy and awareness campaigns on the causes and symptoms of CKD. The importance of insurance and water intake was also emphasized, for the former, Dr. Faponle suggested collaborations with telecommunication companies to create an insurance fund. He further suggested deduction based on people’s income level to achieve equity in accessing quality healthcare. Dr. Sanda added that companies that contribute to CKD risk, such as tobacco and alcohol companies, should be taxed.
The discussion was soon steered to the need for collaborations and partnerships to promote kidney health in Nigeria, where Dr. Faponle shared the creation of a renal registry by the Nigerian Association of Nephrology (NAN) to help keep record of the required data and demographics, Dr Sanda also added that, this would attract foreign investment into the healthcare sector.
LHS shared that, there is also a need for avenues to inform the public about kidney disease services and facilities without violating advertising restrictions. Dr Sanda mentioned that Zenith Medical and Kidney Centre (ZMKC) have performed the highest number of kidney transplants in Nigeria, while St. Nicholas was the first to conduct a kidney transplant in sub-Saharan Africa. LASUTH has completed eight transplants so far and is preparing for three more. In 1999, the teaching hospital in Ife completed their first transplant, and Dr Faponle believes that Nigeria has the necessary skills and resources to perform more transplants, which would save people from spending millions abroad. However, bottle necks, bureaucracy and lack of will power — especially in the public health sector — hinder these activities.
Kidney care and transplant is very expensive but can be made cheaper and more readily available, if the bottle necks are addressed and private investors venture into providing or financing tertiary healthcare in Nigeria. This can help to reverse medical tourism and retain our best hands in the system as well. The government cannot do it alone…
The conversation also addressed investment opportunities in renal care. Dr Sanda stated that Nigeria is the largest Black Country in the world, and there are countless areas for investment in NEPHROLOGY. They highlighted several promising investment areas such as local production of post-transplant medication, renal biopsies, tunnel characterization, and therapy for patients with resistant hypertension, Plasmapheresis, and Molecular lab.
In conclusion, the speakers advised participants and the general public that early control of kidney conditions can prevent the need for a transplant. And also called for an active involvement of Government in primary health care to slowdown and even eliminate the progression of CKD among the populations.
You can listen to the full discussion on Promoting Kidney Health by Health Care Analytics Consults (HCA Consults) here.
The Lagos Health Summit is organized annually by Health Care Analytics Consults (HCA Consults) and the fourth edition is scheduled to hold on the 26th of July, 2023. This summit is set to engage notable companies and personnel with remarkable interventions and diverse innovations in the health sector. Interested participants can register to attend via this link.
