One of seven Nigerians has kidney disease; well-known nephrologist warns of danger

The former President of the Nigerian Association of Nephrologists, Dr. Ebun Ladipo Bamgboye, has raised the alarm that one out of seven Nigerians is down with chronic kidney disease.

Bamgboye has consequently argued in favor of a deceased donor program to help people with chronic kidney disease in the nation.

At a talk on “The Evolution of Kidney Transplantation in Nigeria and the Legacy of Emeritus Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe” at the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, the Clinical Director of St. Nicholas Hospital made this statement.

He claimed that the majority of people who need dialysis do not receive it, and he argued that starting a dead donor program is an essential step in saving the lives of people in the nation who have chronic kidney disorders.

Bamgboye brought attention to the everyday loss of several organs, which might be utilised to the benefit of those who depend on hemodialysis.

According to the famous nephrologists, a large proportion of people in the nation suffer from chronic renal disease, necessitating long-term dialysis or kidney transplantation to maintain their quality of life.

He said that “This, I believe, would have been the dream of Emeritus Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe and what he would have wished was achieved in his lifetime.

” The onus is now on us, his mentees, to ensure that this happens within the shortest possible time. I am sure he will then look down on us from the great divide with satisfaction that we have carried on his dream successfully.

“Chronic kidney disease is very common in our country. Over 15 percent of people have chronic kidney disease.

“That is, for every seven people, one has kidney failure. And it is estimated that over 100 people per million people every year require kidney transplantation.

“Ideally, 22,000 people should be on dialysis, and the total number of people on dialysis is less than 5,000.

“90 percent of people who require dialysis and don’t get it will be dead within two weeks.” So it is not surprising that so many people are dying from kidney failure.

“Kidney failure is an expensive thing to deal with. Even America spends over $40 billion. So we have to focus on prevention.

” We need to detect early and screen our population, like schoolchildren, pregnant women, and undergraduates. Let’s detect early.

‘”The average transplant will cost nothing less than N20 million in two years. If 20,000 people develop kidney failure every year and require a transplant, you can multiply 20,000 by N20 million, which will give you the sort of figures we are looking at. You know the country can’t afford that.”

Speaking during the ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor of UNIMED, Prof. Adesegun Fatusi, said: “In emeritus Akinkugbe, this university, our nation, and the medical world globally found not only a brilliant mind but also a man of solid character, unassailable integrity, professional diligence, and outstanding performance—a man who truly deserves to be honoured at all times.

Prof Fatusi said that ” I am proud that our University, the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Nigeria’s first specialised university of medical and health sciences, made it a point of duty to initiate this series to honour this medical colossus while he was yet alive and followed through faithfully in annually organising this event despite the demise of emeritus Prof. Akinkugbe a few months before the first edition of the annual event took place in July 2021.”