The Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), Dr Patrick Dakum has advised Nigerians to eat healthy food and limit alcohol intake to protect their kidneys from harm.
Dakum, the Labour Party’s (LP) Plateau governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections, gave the advice in his goodwill message on Friday in Jos to commemorate this year’s World Kidney Day.
The IHVN chief executive urged Nigerians to exercise their bodies regularly, aim for a healthy weight, have enough sleep, and quit smoking to save their kidneys.
He further advised them to explore stress-reducing activities, manage diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease well, and go for medical checkups regularly.
Dakum named some of the causes of kidney diseases as hypertension, diabetes, kidney inflation, and obesity.
He stated that shunning self-medication, too much intake of processed foods with high levels of salt, and ensuring regular intake of fruits and vegetables would boost their health.
Dakum said that this year’s World Kidney Day theme focuses on increasing the burden of chronic kidney disease and achieving optimal kidney care to overcome these challenges at different levels.
“It’s worthy to note the dangers of being careless with healthy living, particularly with regard to the kidneys.
“Studies have shown that 272,400 people die of kidney disease in Nigeria every year.
“And that those with chronic kidney disease on dialysis need N160, 000 weekly for treatment, N500, 000 monthly for drugs, and N16 million for a kidney transplant.
“The high cost of treatment is responsible for the high rate of deaths per year.
“Sadly, many of those infected by the disease are ignorant until it reaches the chronic stage, where they will go into penury by selling their assets and other properties for treatment,” he said.
Dakum, who was two-time Plateau Commissioner for Health and Information, attested that health projection has it that by 2040, kidney disease will be the fifth global killer disease.
He called on the government at all levels to intensify the awareness campaign on the disease and find ways of subsidizing treatment for patients.
The IHVN boss added that the current hardship and hyperinflation witnessed in the country, if not immediately tackled, would double or triple the death rates associated with the disease.
NAN
