By Gabriel Olawale

Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta has carried out comprehensive kidney screening for teachers and pupils of St. Paul Primary School and St. Peter Primary School in Lagos.
The exercise, which recorded huge participation, was to commemorate World Kidney Day and raise awareness about the prevalence of kidney diseases in society.
Speaking during the programme which was carried out in partnership with Getz Pharma and Mega Lifesciences, Head, Department of Internal Medicine, and Consultant Nephrologist, FMC Ebute-Metta, Dr. Olamide Olowoyo said that some studies have shown that the prevalence of kidney diseases in Nigeria was as high as 15 to 20 percent, which is very high.
She explained that some people with kidney diseases present very late to the hospital, which makes treatment a little difficult.
“We want the general public to be aware that kidney disease can affect both the young and the elderly. What we have observed lately is that a lot of children are coming down with advanced kidney disease, requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant. So it is good to catch them young through early screening.
“Some children have structural problems from birth that affect their kidney; others may have protein in their urine; some have inflammation of the kidney, and over time it may keep progressing such that some of them may need dialysis or a transplant over time.
“In adults, poorly controlled hypertension, diabetes, and some other underlying illnesses like HIV, sickle cell diseases, hereditary kidney disease, or cancer, may affect their kidney.”
Olamide highlighted some of the risk factors in adults, including smoking, excessive drinking, indiscriminate use of medication, and inadequate intake of water, among others.
“We encourage people to drink a lot of water; people should stop patronizing the open drug market and excessive intake of pain medication. Herbal concussion is also a major risk factor because most of it are injurious to health.”
Calling on the government to intervene in the management of  the dise,  in Nigeria, Consultant Nephrology, Dr. Nmadu Danladi said that awareness about kidney disease still remains poor.
“Kidney is a very jealous organ, once you do not give it enough water, it tends to react aggressively.
“I always encourage people to pay attention to their urine. Is there a lot of protein in your urine? Is it dark? Is the amount of urine you are producing increasing or decreasing? Is it painful when you urinate?“
Danladi disclosed that the management of kidney disease is very expensive, as patients with kidney failure will, on average, require three sessions of dialysis at an average price of N120,000 every week.
 When you compare that with the minimum wage of N30,000, that means the person is dead already.
“Kidney transplants cost about N10 million, how many Nigerians can afford that?
“The way to go is not treatment but prevention.”
Appreciating the management and staff of FMC Ebute Metta for the gesture, the principal of St. Paul Primary School, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Akintomide said that the health talk session exposed them to some of the things they were not aware of as risk factors.
She admonished the pupils to take the message back home to their parents, even as she called on all the teachers to go for regular medical check-ups.
“We are very grateful for the comprehensive screening we receive free of charge because we know that to enjoy something like this in the hospital will definitely cost money.
“Our prayer is that God will continue to uphold FMC Ebute Metta.”