The National President, Nigerian Association of Nephrology, Prof. Ifeoma Ulasi, has said no fewer than 20 million Nigerians have kidney disease.

Ulasi added that of this number, only a few people had the hope of survival in Nigeria in view of different variables.

The don also put the number of fully trained nephrologists in the country at 200, saying that the situation was hopeless considering the fact that the country should currently have no fewer than 20,000 fully trained nephrologists.

Ulasi made the disclosure at a press conference held at Check-Inn Hotel, Agodi, Ibadan, Oyo State to herald the 32nd annual general meeting and scientific conference of the association, entitled, ‘Kidney disease and demographics,’ holding between February 17 and 19, at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan.

The association warned Nigerians against the use of medicated soaps that contain mercury and bleaching creams as they have properties that are hazardous to the human kidney.

Ulasi said studies revealed that the use of harmful herbal medications whose properties could not be quantified contributed to the increasing rate of kidney disease in the country.

She said the statistics of people suffering from kidney disease was generated through “various researches that were done at various centres. We have had community studies. We have had in-hospital studies. It could be more because, as you may well know, many of our people don’t report early to hospitals.

“They would have tried one or two other alternatives, like consulting native doctors or going to spiritual houses to seek attention. So, we don’t get to see them early. But, we believe that it is about eight to 12 per cent. So, if you work it out, 10 per cent will make about 20million of Nigerians that have kidney disease if you base the calculation on 200million population.

“Then, there are so many practices, apart from us being genetically predisposed to kidney disease. There are some practices we get into that are not very good for our kidneys or for our kidneys’ health. Often time, some women use some medicated soaps that contain mercury. They use some bleaching creams that contain things that are not okay for the kidney.

“Kidney is the clearinghouse. Everything you take, everything that passes through the blood, gets to the kidney and the kidney clears it. So, what happens in the clearinghouse? Everything concentrates there. If it is a bad one, it starts dealing with the kidney. Outside these other things that I have mentioned. We also, instead of coming to the hospitals, take herbal medications. These herbal medications are not quantified. You don’t even know what they contain. But some people will continue to take things that will harm them, without knowing it. Again, the kidney has to clear it and again the kidney suffers.”

Punch Newspapers