Korede Abdullah 
Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Abeokuta, Professor Fatiu Arogundade
ILE-IFE, Nigeria – Nigeria needs a dedicated national kidney care policy as chronic kidney disease continues to place a growing burden on patients, particularly those in their economically productive years, a leading nephrologist has said.
Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Abeokuta, Professor Fatiu Arogundade, raised the concern while delivering the 430th inaugural lecture of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, on Tuesday.
Arogundade, a Professor of Medicine and Nephrology, said chronic kidney disease was estimated to affect nearly 20 per cent of Nigeria’s population. He said the condition was particularly dangerous because many people could remain without obvious symptoms until kidney damage had reached an advanced stage.
The lecture was titled “The Burden, Barriers, Bottleneck and Breakthroughs in the Management of Kidney Disease in Nigeria: A Journey from the Grassroots to the Frontiers.” Arogundade said the high cost of kidney treatment and limited health insurance coverage had placed a heavy financial burden on patients, with many forced to pay for care out of pocket.
He called for kidney disease prevention and treatment to be integrated into Nigeria’s Primary Health Care system to improve early detection and access to care and advocated mandatory kidney screening from nursery schools through tertiary institutions, arguing that early identification could help prevent or slow the progression of kidney disease.
He urged stronger management of conditions that can contribute to kidney damage, including diabetes, hypertension and HIV.
Arogundade also warned against practices that could increase kidney health risks, including smoking, excessive use of painkillers, bleaching creams, unregulated herbal preparations and exposure to environmental toxins. “Chronic kidney disease has assumed epidemic proportions and is a major public health issue globally. There is a need for a national kidney care policy to provide coordinated kidney care and set standards for every Nigerian.”
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Mirian Gom 
