Catumbela - From January to date, the three haemodialysis centres in the centre-west Benguela Province have been treating around 150 patients with chronic renal failure, compared to 120 in the same period in 2023, ANGOP has learned.
For the nephrologist and head of the Benguela Haemodialysis Centre, Alcides Tomás, who was speaking to the press about World Kidney Day, marked this Thursday, the increase in cases of kidney disease related to the incidence of hypertension in the population worries the Angolan Kidney Institute (IAR), as it is a public health problem.
According to the doctor, this upward trend in the number of patients undergoing treatment has led the IAR to invest in multidisciplinary health fairs to raise awareness and sensitise people to early diagnosis.
Alcides Tomás, who is also the clinical director of the Angolan Kidney Institute, said that in the first quarter of 2023 the three haemodialysis units had around 120 patients with chronic kidney disease in the context of hypertension.
"Although March is not yet over, we already have 150 patients with chronic kidney disease in the context of hypertension," he said, adding that the institution´s challenge is to reduce the number of patients in the province, with the aim of reversing the situation.
He revealed in general up to now the province has a total of 350 patients under haemodialysis treatment, which corresponds to 10% of the 3,000 Angolans who suffer from this disease.
However 90% of the 350 patients being treated are from Benguela, with some patients coming from the province of Cuanza-Sul, Luanda or outside the country, mainly in transit.
Chronic renal failure, also called chronic kidney disease (CKD), is a disease characterised by the slow and continuous loss of kidney function, which causes, among other changes, the progressive accumulation of toxins and metabolic waste in the blood.
Main causes
With regard to the new cases, Alcides Tomás puts high blood pressure as the main cause of chronic kidney disease, followed by diabetes and other diseases such as Human Immunodeficiency Viruses (HIV) or tuberculosis, while malaria causes acute kidney failure.
The doctor explained that chronic kidney disease is the kind that arises silently and gradually, and later results in irreversible loss of kidney function.
Acute renal failure, on the other hand, is abrupt, and when the disease that caused the impairment of renal function is treated, namely filtering, blood pressure control and electrolyte balance, the patient can recover this function.
Regarding prevention, he pointed to a multidisciplinary fair organized by the IAR with the aim to sensitize people rushing to hospital units for creatinine and urine tests to screen for kidney disease.
As chronic kidney disease is silent, the nephrologist advised patients not to wait for signs or symptoms, otherwise they could lose almost 50 per cent of their kidney function as soon as the clinical manifestations of kidney failure begin.
On the other hand, he pointed out that, after the capital Luanda, Benguela is the province with the second largest number of haemodialysis centres that have responded to the needs of patients in the region.
There are haemodialysis centres at Benguela General Hospital with capacity for 354 patients, at Benguela Municipal Hospital for 30 patients and at Lobito Regional Hospital.
Alcides Tomás admits that working together every year is the main objective, with a view to improving medical care and medication for patients.
The availability of transport to support patient mobility before and after the three dialysis sessions a week, in line with international standards, is one example of how conditions are better than before, the source explained.
JH/CRB/MRA/jmc
