By Chioma Obinna
FOR more than 150 kidney patients gathered under canopies in Enugu, and thousands of others across the country, the struggle goes beyond the pain of a failing organ. It is a daily battle to raise the money needed to stay alive. Recently, videos and pictures of some of the patients in Enugu surfaced on social media, drawing.
Recently, videos and pictures of some of the patients in Enugu surfaced on social media, drawing public attention to their plight. Many reportedly arrived in wheelchairs, while others were visibly weakened, with swollen legs, faces and abdomens.
Many of the patients are living with end-stage kidney disease, a stage at which kidney replacement therapy, including dialysis or transplantation, may be required to sustain life. But how many of them can afford the lifesaving treatment? Sadly, kidney disease respects neither age nor social status. Adults and children were among those waiting for assistance to continue treatment.
According to Consultant Nephrologist, Dr Abdulwasiu Busari, about 90 per cent of Nigerian patients discontinue dialysis within one year, largely because of the cost. Their plight puts a human face on Nigeria’s kidney-care crisis, as experts raise concerns about severe kidney disease affecting Nigerians during their productive years, while the cost of treatment leaves many unable to sustain care. The true scale of kidney disease in Nigeria remains difficult to quantify because the country has no current, nationally representative data establishing the overall burden of kidney disease. Available Nigerian studies have produced widely varying prevalence estimates because of differences in populations, locations and diagnostic methods.
