Currently 50,000 children are suffering from renal diseases in the country, while only 400 children could be given kidney transplantation annually due to lack of paediatric nephrologists in Pakistan. Professor Gaffar Billoo, an expert paediatric consultant, said this while addressing inaugural ceremony of 3rd Biennial Pediatric Nephrology Conference at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) on Friday.
He said that there are only 14 paediatric nephrologists and only 1,500 child specialists due to which many people in the country could not be diagnosed properly. "Currently 17,000 patients of renal failure need kidney transplantation, while the country has a capacity to deal with only 400 patients annually due to this mortality rate is increasing at a rapid speed," he acknowledged. He said: "In Pakistan, out of 100, only 5 patients have access to kidney transplantation." He said: "If government fails to address this prevailing disease in children, then there is a possibility that menace of kidney selling would reach an alarming stage."
He described that problem of low weight in new born babies develops diabetes and blood pressure, while the causes of renal failure in adults are also diabetes and blood pressure. He urged that there is a dire need to emphasise on subject of paediatric Nephrology to reduce deaths because of renal failure. Describing other reasons of renal failure, he said: "In children, every 2nd girl out of 100 are suffering from Urinary Track Infection (UTI) due to which ratio of girls with kidney diseases is much higher than boys." He said that there is a need to abolish system of marriages to avert kidney diseases in children.
Speaking on the occasion, Professor Iqtidar A. Khan, co-chairman organising committee said theme of this three-day long paediatric Nephrology conference is prevention of kidney diseases in children. He said that due to lack of proper strategy, the problem could not be solved due to which many innocent people have lost their precious lives.
He said that 50pc Pakistan population constitutes of young people, which could be affected if they are not diagnosed timely. He said that the government is playing its role by utilising its limited resources but there is a need to develop a comprehensive strategy to avoid kidney diseases in children. He stressed that private sector should also contribute to launch awareness campaigns on public-private partnership basis to inform masses about different kidney diseases.
He said that kidney diseases are more prevalent in developing countries with limited resources and poor infrastructure. He said that there is a need to train medical, nursing and technical staff in order to prevent chronic renal diseases as well as recognise renal disorders timely.
Comments
Comments are closed.