Cazenga – At least 2,800 people with kidney failure have received medical assistance in various hospitals in Angola, the Health Minister Silvia Lutucuta said Saturday in Luanda.
The minister disclosed the information at the opening of the first "National Nephrology Meeting" held at Luanda's Cardio-Pulmonary Diseases Hospital Complex, under the slogan "A look at the state of nephrology in Angola".
According to the minister, Angola has 2,800 patients undergoing hemodialysis and 650 dialysis monitors, underlining that high blood pressure, diabetes, malaria and glomerulonephritis are the main causes of acute kidney failure.
The minister explained that Angola has 50 nephrologists to date with roughly 80 percent of them operating in Luanda province, stressing that some 65 are currently in training to meet the need in other provinces of the country.
Currently, the minister said, there are only hemodialysis centers in the provinces with the highest number of patients, namely Luanda, Benguela, Huambo, Moxico, Malanje, Bié and Huila.
The minister said the aim is to extend the programme all over the country by 2027 to continue strengthening issues related to health promotion, disease prevention and early diagnosis.
According to the Health minister, the sector's training plan includes the training of specialist doctors, specialist nurses, diagnostic and therapeutic technicians, among others.
The minister seized the opportunity to stress the importance of changing unhealthy eating habits, reducing salt in food and avoiding the use of tobacco and alcohol. DJ/ACS/PPA/AMP
