Over 35,000 develop kidney failure in Bangladesh every year

Early detection and treatment of chronic kidney diseases (CKD) can prevent premature deaths from kidney failure, Prof Harun-Ur-Rashid, president of Kidney Foundation, said yesterday.

He also said all countries need a “legal and professional framework to donate organs” which will ensure donor and recipient safety and prohibit unethical practices.

He was giving a multimedia presentation on “CKD in Bangladesh: Current State of the Problem” at the plenary session on the last day of a three-day international conference.

Kidney Foundation organised the conference titled “Diabetic Kidney Disease and Deceased Renal Transplantation” at its convention hall in the capital's Mirpur.

In his presentation, Prof Harun-Ur-Rashid mentioned that CKD is the 11th leading cause of global mortality with estimated 1.2 million deaths annually.

According to Kidney Foundation, some 35,000-40,000 CKD patients, out of about 18 million, develop kidney failure in Bangladesh every year. To treat them, there are only 16 professors, 22 associate professors and 36 assistant professors (out of 140 nephrologists) in the country.

“The important causes of 'end stage kidney failure' (ESRD) in our country are chronic nephritis (40 percent), diabetes (34 percent) and high blood pressure (15 percent),” he said, suggesting that people with these three diseases should seek treatment immediately.

“After the age of 40, everyone should go for regular check-ups to detect critical health issues,” he said.

“Kidney transplantation is a better alternative to dialysis, as it is cheaper and provides a better life for the patient,” he added.

Renowned international academicians and physicians gave multimedia presentations on different aspects of CKD treatment at the event.