By Abiemwense Moru
Jumai was a vibrant and active woman in her early 40s when she was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), a condition where the kidneys have lost most of their functions.
Her world was turned upside down, but she refused to let her diagnosis define her.
“It was a shock, to say the least,” Jumai recalls. “I had always been healthy, and suddenly, I was facing the prospect of dialysis or a kidney transplant.
In spite of the overwhelming news, Jumai remained determined to fight.
Her resilience shone through. She adapted her lifestyle to accommodate her dialysis schedule, finding ways to maintain her independence and continue working.
“I refused to let my condition hold me back. I learned to manage my energy levels and prioritise self-care” she said.
After several years on dialysis, Jumai received the news she had been hoping for – a kidney donor was available. The transplant was a success, and Jumai’s life began to change dramatically.
“It was like being reborn. Suddenly, I had energy again could plan for the future without the constraints of dialysis”, she recalls.
Jumai embraced her second chance at life, making lifestyle changes to protect her new kidney, including a healthy diet and regular exercise.
“Approximately 850 million people worldwide are estimated to have kidney disease, most of who live in low-income and lower-middle-income countries.
“A large proportion of these individuals lack access to kidney disease diagnosis, prevention or treatment.
“As many as 9 out of 10 individuals with CKD in resource-poor settings with weak primary care infrastructure are unaware that they have this condition and therefore do not seek treatment’’, say Anna Francis and a team of researchers.
The study on “Chronic kidney disease and the global public health agenda: an international consensus“ was published in Nature Reviews Nephrology.
And to achieve optimal kidney care, Dr Patrick Dakum, Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), advises Nigerians to eat healthy food and limit alcohol intake to protect their kidneys from harm.
The IHVN chief executive urged Nigerians to exercise their regularly, aim for a healthy weight, have enough sleep, and shun smoking.
He further advised them to explore stress-reducing activities, manage diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease well, and go for medical check-up regularly.
Dakum named some of the causes of kidney diseases as hypertension, diabetes, kidney inflation and obesity.
He said shunning self-medication, too much intake of processed foods with high levels of salt, and ensuring regular intake of fruits and vegetables would boost their health.
In addressing kidney challenges, he said it was worthy to note the dangers of being careless with healthy living, particularly with regard to the kidneys.
He highlights the burdens of managing the condition, saying, studies show that 272,400 people die of kidney disease in Nigeria every year.
“And that those with chronic kidney disease on dialysis need N160, 000 weekly for treatment, N500, 000 monthly for drugs, and N16 million for a kidney transplant.
“The high cost of treatment is responsible for the high rate of deaths per year’’.
In order to maintain healthy kidney during the hot season, Prof. Fatai Fehintola, Consultant Physician at College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (UI), urged Nigerians to maintain healthy kidney by constantly taking water and fluid, especially during hot weather.
He explained that inadequate water in the body could cause dehydration, as people would easily be tired and sometimes might feel a bit uncomfortable and irritable.
The consultant physician suggested the intake of a cup of water, 200 to 250 mills at an hour, and two hours intervals, depending on how an individual feels and the environment.
He said hot weather could affect proper functioning of the body, as people lose lots of water and some salt in such weather circumstances.
According to him, when water is not enough, the body cells begin to malfunction while the organs also do extra work to ensure proper amount of water in the body.
Fehintola said lots of water could be lost due to heat and sweating, as the kidney which filtered waste from the body continues to regulate the amount of water in the body.
“Most people will observe that their urine looks concentrated, close to brown, beyond the usual colour, this is because the kidneys are trying to conserve the remaining water in the body.
“People might be passing urine less frequently, so to help the normal body functions, one should ensure to replace the water being lost due to heat.
“Also, taking some fruits that have elements of water such as watermelon, orange, can help,” he said.
A Consultant Physician and Nephrologist, Dr Ayoola Odeyemi, says collective measures involving patients, healthcare providers and government are required to reduce the burden of kidney morbidity and mortality.
Odeyemi, a Specialist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) said many people live with undiagnosed kidney diseases.
The medical practitioner, who is also the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Nigerian Association of Nephrology, said early detection improves the chances of receiving effective treatment and preventing kidney failure.
Odeyemi said Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is often irreversible, while the Acute Kidney Disease (AKD) may be reversed with treatment if detected early.
He appealed to physicians to have a high index of suspicion to pick kidney disease symptoms in patients and refer them to kidney specialists for treatment.
He urged the government to evolve appropriate legislation to ensure affordable care, noting that most kidney patients pay for treatment out-of-pocket.
Odeyemi also appealed for the integration of comprehensive kidney care in the National Health Insurance Act, saying that Nigerians do not adequately take care of their kidneys.
“The health insurance made provision for only six sessions of kidney dialysis per year for each patient, whereas most patients with kidney failure or end-stage renal disease require four to five sessions per week’’, he said.
Odeyemi also urged health management organisations (HMOs) to embrace renal care in their service.
“Nigerian Association of Nephrology is appealing to well-meaning Nigerians to come to the aid of kidney patients because there are many needless deaths arising from Kidney failure,” said.
More public enlightenment on causes and kidney management is required to minimise cases of kidney failure in Nigeria. All stakeholders should be part of this crucial assignment. (NANFeatures)
