Pakistan ranks 8th in kidney diseases with 20,000 deaths every year

Capital Development Authority (CDA) Health Services Director Dr Hasan Orooj on Thursday said that 20,000 Pakistanis die of kidney failure every year. Addressing a seminar held on World Kidney Day, organised by Shifa International Hospital (SIH), Dr Orooj said that more than 43,000 persons die every year of organ failure in Pakistan with 20,000 of renal failure and around 23,000 people die of other organs’ failure, including heart, liver, lungs and pancreas, he added. He said Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is rapidly growing in Pakistan due to late diagnosis, high volume of kidney stone disease and increasing number of patients with diabetes and high blood pressure.

He said that health equity was crucial to achieve health care goals and ensure that every citizen gets health care services without discrimination in the country.

Shifa International Hospital (SIH) Consultant Nephrologist and Head of Nephrology Department Dr Farhat Abbas consuming junk and low quality food, self-medication and excessive use of medicine, low water intake, obesity, diabetes, hypertension and renal stones were a few causes of the kidney disease.

He added the disease can also be inherited and stressed to know all the possible causes of kidney diseases, living a simple and active life and adopting preventive measures to avoid complications.

He said that the best way to prevent kidney failure is early diagnosis of underlying disease and aggressive treatment.

Dr Farhat said that around 600 million persons worldwide have some form of kidney damage. CKD is predicted to increase by 17 percent over the next decade, is now recognised as global public health issue, he added.

SIH Consultant Urologist and Director Kidney Transplant Dr Saeed Akhter said that the treatment of kidney failure is either hemodialysis or kidney transplant, whereas dialysis offers an excellent short time cure.

“Transplant is the option which gives the best chance of a good long term quality of life,” he underlined. Highlighting the importance of cadaveric transplant, he urged to donate kidneys and other body organs after death as a deceased body can save nine lives.

Consultant Nephrologist Khawaja Sayeed Ahmed said Pakistan is at number eight in the world in kidney diseases. He said toxic drugs and fake medicines have their own considerable share in kidney damage.

“It’s a myth that people cannot live longer after dialysis or kidney transplant, he added. You must opt for better treatment as early as possible,” he stressed.

Consultant Nutritionist Dr Rezzan Khan said that to avoid kidney disease diet, nutrition and lifestyle should be healthy throughout the life even if diabetes or blood pressure is under control.

She said that healthy kidneys remove waste products from the bloodstream while in chronic kidney disease waste products can build up in the blood. “Some of these waste products come from the food we eat. We may need to limit some foods to avoid complications,” she added.