ILE-IFE (OSUN) – Mr Joel Oludara, Research Coordinator, H3 Africa on Kidney Research Network, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, has urged diabetes patients to go for free kidney test.
Oludara, also a Nephrologist, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of the weekly meeting of diabetic patients in Ile-Ife, Osun, on Monday.
He said that such test would help those concerned to reduce the risk of developing chronic kidney problem in the nearest future.
He said, “Research has revealed that Africa has the greatest population rate of kidney problem due to ignorance and poverty.”
He said that in spite the enormity of the health challenge, many diabetic patients did not go to the hospital for proper treatment.
Joel identified hypertension, diabetes, HIV and AIDs and sickle cell anaemia as diseases known to have predisposed people to kidney problem.
The nephrologist said that anyone with signs and symptoms of the four diseases and failed to examine him/herself within next four years was prone to renal problem.
He said that the association decided to give free kidney test to the less privileged in the society to assist them.
“Anyone that has the kidney failure must do the test at least twice or thrice in a week in which a test cost N30, 000.
“How many people can afford to pay between N60, 000 to N90,000 per week?”
He further advised Nigerians, especially diabetes patients, to go for the test as early as possible, stressing that “prevention is better than cure’’.
The expert, who is also a nurse, advised the people to avoid taking high cholesterol foods.
Joel assured the commitment of the network to curb the immigration of Nigerians to foreign countries such as India, U.S, Malaysia, among others, for medical intervention.
“Majority of Nigerians who travelled out of the country to get medical treatment spent not less than N30 million, whereas OAUTHC has been doing it for eight million naira.
He warned Nigerians to value their own assets and patronise OAUTHC for medical intervention, assuring them that the hospital had “competent and efficient experts”.
NAN reports that H3Africa means the Human Heredity and Health in Africa initiative aims at facilitating contemporary research approach to the study of genomics.
The organisation is also charged with the responsibility of studying environmental determinants of common diseases to improve the health of African populations.
H3 Africa also aims to contribute to the development of the necessary expertise among African scientists, and to establish networks of African investigators.(NAN)