Chronic kidney disease kills 600k women yearly

AT least 600 000 women across the world die each year due to chronic kidney disease, an official has said.

Speaking during the World Kidney Day Commemorations at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo on Thursday, the principal director (preventive services) in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Gibson Mhlanga, said the disease mostly affects women compared to men especially in developing countries.

“Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide public health problem with adverse outcomes of kidney failure and premature death. It affects approximately 195 million women worldwide and it is currently the eighth leading cause of death in women, with close to 600 000 deaths each year. The risk of developing CKD is at least as high in women as in men and may even be higher. According to some studies, CKD is more likely to develop in women compared to men, with an average 14 percent prevalence in women and 12 percent in men,” he said.

Dr Mhlanga said there was a need to address issues of equitable health care access for women to facilitate women’s access to treatment and better health outcomes. He added that kidney disease is a silent killer, which largely affects one’s quality of life.

“Women who have CKD are at increased risk for negative outcomes for the mother and the baby. They may have reduced fertility, but conception is possible even if infrequent on dialysis. On dialysis, results improve with intensive dialysis treatment, thus calling for dedicated programmes from women of child bearing age.”

Dr Mhlanga said poor appreciation of kidney disease by the general population and shortage of kidney specialists in the country was a major challenge. He said the country has only four adult kidney specialists who are all based in Harare.

He said the Government needed to improve on public awareness through use of various media organisations to disseminate information and to train kidney specialists and transplant surgeons.

“Transplant surgeons working together with kidney specialists can facilitate kidney transplant in the country and drastically cut the costs being suffered by patients when they go to countries like India,” he said.

He said his ministry will formulate plans to develop programmes related to screening, diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases. The commemorations ran under the theme “Kidneys and women’s health”.