Angela Onwuzoo With more Nigerians diagnosed with kidney disease annually, those diagnosed with the condition may be in for a hard time as only three out of eight government-owned tertiary hospitals offering kidney transplants are working. President of the Transplant Association of Nigeria, Professor Jacob Awobusuyi, who made known this grim situation, said there was a need for the Federal Government to revitalise the dormant centres through funding as it moves to unveil policy and guidelines on organ transplants. Prof Jacob Awobusuyi Awobusuyi, a Professor of Medicine at the Lagos State University College of Medicine, stressed the need for access to kidney care for patients in Nigeria.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, on Saturday, announced that the Federal Government was set to launch national policies and guidelines on organ transplants to address unethical practices in organ donation and transplantation. He spoke during the Living Kidney Donor Day event organised by Nisa Medical Group in Abuja. Nephrologists in recent times have been expressing concern at the rate at which many Nigerians are coming down with kidney disease, with many requiring dialysis and transplantation amid the soaring cost of healthcare and manpower shortage.
They identified hypertension, diabetes, and glomerulonephritis as some of the common causes of kidney disease in the country, which they further linked to poor lifestyle. The nephrologists also said the .
