Unaffordability of renal replacement therapy in Nigeria

Publication date: April 2016 Source:Hong Kong Journal of Nephrology, Volume 18 Author(s): Samuel Ajayi, Yemi Raji, Temitope Bello, Lanre Jinadu, Babatunde Salako With the increase in epidemic proportions of diabetes worldwide, the number of patients who will require renal replacement therapy (RRT) will be a great challenge to the health infrastructures of developing countries such as Nigeria. Because those mostly affected are in the economically productive age group, a vicious circle is established whereby those who keep the economy going are the same people affected. Secondary and tertiary care of chronic kidney disease involving RRT would exact disproportionate toll on the income of patients in the developing world where patients pay out of pocket for their own care. Whilst there is an increase in the number of facilities offering RRT, there is no commensurate sustainability of care either by the patients themselves or even by the government. The level of unemployment is increasing. Kidney transplantation is out of reach in addition to the cost of post-transplant care, which includes hospitalization and immunosuppressive medications. Most of the end-stage kidney disease patients who enlisted in our dialysis program were unable to get or sustain adequate hemodialysis. The data also showed that more men were dialyzed at our facilities over the period under review and the age distribution has not changed much over the decade. From this dismal picture in the last ...
Source: Hong Kong Journal of Nephrology - Category: Urology & Nephrology Source Type: research