Awareness can help prevent 60 percent kidney diseases

 The number of kidney patients has increased alarmingly as two crore people in the country are now somehow suffering from kidney disease, says leading health experts.

Around 10 percent of the population suffer from some forms of kidney damage in the world, and every year millions die prematurely of complications related to chronic kidney disease (CKD).

This disease is a harmful and so highly expensive for treatment that 5 percent of people cannot run their treatment.

Nearly 40,000 kidney patients in Bangladesh die every year and at least 5 people die in every hour from kidney disease as treatment cost of the non- communicable disease is still high.

Dr. Sohely Ahmed Sweety of Save Life Foundation and Gift Life Foundation says, “Unhealthy lifestyle and lack of awareness lead to kidney ailment. If we control high blood pressure and diabetics as well as to avoid smoking we will be able to prevent kidney ailments.”

Chairman of Voluntary organization Kidney Awareness Monitoring and Prevention Society (KAMPS) Professor MA Samad says everyone can feel that treatment is enough but the high risk of kidney disease can be prevented only through raising awareness among people.

“Diabetes, HBP, Glumeralo Nephritis, Obstruction in Urine Flow, Enlarged prostate, narrowing urinary track and taking drugs over the counter, smoking, etc are vital reason for kidney diseases”, he says.

He says eight golden points are being highlighted today for prevention of kidney disease which are giving physical labour and doing regular exercise, controlling high blood pressure and diabetes, testing blood pressure regularly for controlling hidden HBP, taking hygienic food and keeping weight under control, drinking sufficient water, not taking any drug without doctor’s prescription and kidney screening regularly.

He says by following the eight golden ways strictly the risk of kidney diseases in people of all ages will be remarkably reduced.

Dr. Abdus Salam, Assistant Registrar of the National Institute of Kidney Diseases & Urology (NIKDU), describes the kidney ailment as a silent killer disease and advises people to follow healthy lifestyle like checking overweight and taking safe drinking water for keeping kidney healthy.

He mentions that it is possible to prevent at least 60 percent kidney diseases only through raising awareness among people in the SAARC countries including Bangladesh.

The expert says people have to know the reasons of kidney diseases and take measures to keep themselves free from the risk.

National Professor MR Khan says the number of kidney patients is increasing in the country at an alarming rate due to unhealthy life styles. “We need to expedite our awareness campaign to create awareness among the people.... If we maintain healthy lifestyle along with proper diet, we can prevent kidney ailment,” he added.

He says that there have no alternative to the government’s patronization in easing the kidney treatment for poor and general people as the treatment of this disease is highly expensive one.

In this perspective, the World Kidney Day-2016 is being observed today (March 10) with the theme ‘Kidney Disease & Children, Act Early to Prevent it.’

This observance, taking place on the second Thursday of every March since 2006, was established by two organisations, the International Federation of Kidney Foundations and the International Society of Nephrology, to raise awareness of kidney diseases, especially chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Marking the day, many organizations like Save Life Foundation and Gift Life Foundation have taken various programmes to supplement the efforts to prevent the disease. The programmes include procession, discussion, cultural programme, etc.
Kidney specialist Dr Sohely Ahmed Sweety says, “We have launched massive campaigns on kidney diseases to create awareness among the people so that they maintain appropriate diets and take necessary preventive measures to protect them from the disease.”

As part of the campaign, she says, Save Life Foundation and Gift Life Foundation have selected some renowned schools in Dhaka city aiming to send awareness message on the kidney disease among students.

Meanwhile, marking the day, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have urged all to work together to create awareness among the people about prevention and treatment of kidney disease.

 “I think that creating awareness among people about the prevention and treatment of kidney diseases is very important at this moment,” the President said in his message.

In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said about two crore people have been suffering from different types of kidney disease. Treatment of kidney disease is very expensive but if some health related rules are maintained, this disease can easily be prevented, she added.

She said the present government has been implementing different programmes for ensuring healthcare facilities for all including the kidney patients.

Health experts opine that it needs not spending money rather only to bring some changes in day to day life and practicing them very strictly. It is very much essential to launch massive awareness campaign across the country on kidney disease in a bid to ensure safe and healthy life for the people. Considering the harmfulness of the kidney the government should take special programmes to raise awareness among the people to prevent the disease across the country. Side-by-side the government; the private organizations and affluent class of people of the society have to come ahead to prevent the kidney diseases.

risingbd/DHAKA/Mar 10, 2016