Nearly 5m children suffer from kidney disease, say experts

FE Team | Published: March 15, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

Kidney disease has emerged as a serious public health problem as nearly 5 million children in the country are now somehow suffering from kidney ailment, leading health experts said Saturday, reports BSS.
Alarming rise of kidney disease among the children is a global phenomenon and early detection can save millions of children's lives, they told a symposium on "Difficult Nephrotic Syndrome and Paediatric Renal Transplantation" in the Shaheed Dr Milon Hall of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
BSMMU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Pran Gopal Datta, eminent child specialist Prof MR Khan, Kidney specialist Prof Md Habibur Rahman, among others, addressed the symposium with Chairman of Department of Paediatric Nephrology of BSMMU Prof Golam Muin Uddin in the chair.
Medical professionals from home and abroad and students of different medical colleges attended the symposium. Prof Golam Muin Uddin said "About 5 to 7 percent of children attending paediatric outpatient clinic have renal problem. A significant number of our admitted patients also suffer from resistant nephritic and ultimately develop chronic kidney disease, hypertension, heart problems and suffer from early loss of life."
Worldwide the majority of individuals with early stage of kidney disease remain undiagnosed, he said adding whereas prevention and early detection can reduce morbidity and mortality from these diseases.
Prof Habibur said approximately 10 percent people in the world suffer from chronic kidney disease and of them, half the population aged 75 and above is affected by chronic kidney ailment. High blood pressure and diabetes cause kidney disease.
Healthy experts said birth defects and hereditary diseases are the leading causes of kidney failure of children and common symptoms for children are swelling of the hands and feet and puffiness around the eyes.
Other major symptoms include lack of or decrease in appetite, decreased or increased frequency of urination, long-lasting changes in the colour of the urine such as unusually dark or red, flu-like symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite, stunted or poor growth as compared to similar age group peers.
Kidney Specialist Dr Sohely Ahmed Sweety said, "In Bangladesh, nearly 20 million out of 160 million people are suffering from kidney disease and the figure indicates a sharp rise of the disease."
Dr Sohely, also convener of Save Life Foundation and Gift Life Foundation, said kidney ailment is a silent killer disease as symptoms of the disease become visible when 50 percent kidneys are destroyed.