Prevention: The Best Treatment for Chronic Kidney Disease

"Studies have shown that the prevalence of chronic kidney disease in the country is about 20 percent, which translates to about 30 million Nigerians," said Doctor Chiwunba Ijoma recently in Benin City at an event to mark the 23rd annual general meeting and scientific conference of the Nigerian Association of Nephrology (NAN).

This shocking statistical revelation shows that the disease which is expensive to manage even in advanced countries is rapidly increasing in Nigeria. The increase has been attributed to poverty, insufficient health amenities and poor disease management plan among other factors.

Kidneys are paired organs, each sharing equally the work of removing wastes and excess water from the blood. Remarkably, a single kidney can do the job of both if one kidney is lost through injury or disease. It sometimes occurs, although rarely, that a person is born with only one kidney. Such people are able to lead normal lives.

There are several diseases of the kidney some of which are life-threatening in nature such as kidney failure. Other common kidney diseases include pyelonephritis (an inflammation of the kidney) caused by a bacterial infection that starts in the bladder and spreads to the kidney, glomerulonephritis which occurs when the body's immune system is impaired and kidney stones which are small, crystallized substances that form in the kidney or other parts of the urinary track.

Fortunately, there are various treatments available for kidney diseases. But unfortunately, these treatments are very expensive and beyond the reach of the average Nigerian. For instance, in the case of a chronic kidney disease such as kidney failure, kidney dialysis and kidney transplant are two panaceas available to the hospital patient.

    A hospital patient whose kidneys have ceased to function receives dialysis. In this process, blood is pumped through a dialysis machine, where it is filtered to remove waste products, then returned to the patient's body through a vein.

Kidney transplant which involves replacing the patient's kidney which has ceased to function with a functional one is quite expensive not just in Nigeria but in the whole world. Even some big Teaching Hospitals in Nigeria are yet to commence such capital-intensive treatment. For instance, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital carried out its first successful kidney transplant in 2010 after several years of being in existence.

Meanwhile, a shocking statistics in Microsolf Encarta DVD (2009) reveals that more than 38,000 people in the United States alone wait for a kidney transplant each year, and fewer than 12,000 of them receive this life-sustaining organ.

This shows that the best treatment available for chronic kidney disease still remains prevention. "The trust of management of kidney disease should focus on prevention," suggested Doctor Ijoma. It is hereby recommended that everyone should consult his or her physician on guidelines for preventing kidney diseases.