Where prevention is the best way

A survey conducted by a health related NGO revealed that every hour one person has been dying from kidney failure in Bangladesh and that one in every six persons out of the country's over 150 million people have been afflicted by various kidney diseases. The enormity of the health threat from kidney diseases and kidney failure is underscored from the survey findings of this organisation. The other notable aspect of the findings are that 60 per cent of diabetic and hypertension patients do not realise that they are also suffering from kidney diseases as a corollary to their main diseases and 65 per cent of the patients come to realise only after their kidneys fail that their untreated or uncontrolled diabetes is the main reason for this happening. Thus, there remains a huge information gap in the preventive side of kidney diseases. The most dreaded of kidney diseases, kidney failure, is the result of improper diabetic control or blood sugar level control by diabetic patients. High blood pressure that is not made reasonably normal with medication can similarly lead to kidney damages including complete failure of the functioning of the kidneys. Therefore, diabetes and hypertension patients need to be made aware that keeping their immediate diseases under good control is very important to prevent serious damages to their kidneys. Even kidney diseases caused by infections and other illnesses with no links to diabetes or high blood pressure, can be prevented from the awareness of not drinking impure water, drink water in the recommended amounts daily and follow other hygienic practices. Treating kidney ailments is found to be very expensive or unaffordable by the majority of patients in Bangladesh. Regular dialysis to keep going damaged or too burdened kidney can invite financial ruin for patients or their families. The costs of kidney transplants are a great deal higher and there is no surety of escaping quick death after such transplants. Therefore, the preventive sides to kidney care assume a great deal of significance in the context of Bangladesh. There should be regular publicity in the mass media about kidney diseases and prevention methods. Specially, diabetic and blood pressure patients need to be made aware through such publicity. Philanthropic or non government organisations working in the health sector should be proactive in disseminating relevant information extensively among people about what they should do to offset the progress of kidney diseases. (The writer is a doctor at Salahuddin Specialised Hospital in Dhaka)