The New Nation - Internet Edition

DURING the inauguration of a lottery the other day to raise funds to build an international standard hospital for kidney patients in Bangladesh some startling disclosures were made. Experts who attended the ceremony stated that some two crore people (20 million) out of over fourteen crore people (140 million) of Bangladesh are kidney patients. Thus, there is no way to underestimate the impact of kidney-related health problems. The treatment of kidney-related diseases means a big drain of resources not only at the individual or family level, but also at the national level.

A health-related NGO recently concluded a survey on kidney diseases. A notable aspect of its findings is that 60 per cent of diabetic and hypertension patients here do not know that they are also suffering from kidney diseases as a corollary to their main diseases and 65 per cent of the patients come to realise only after their kidneys fail that their uncontrolled diabetes or blood pressure leads to this. Thus, it is apparent that there is a huge information gap about the preventive aspect of kidney diseases that must be bridged with extensive awareness raising through different media.

The most dreaded of kidney diseases - kidney failure - sometimes is the result of improper control of blood sugar levels. High blood pressure that is not brought reasonably to normal with medication can similarly lead to kidney damages. Therefore, diabetes and hypertension patients need to be made aware of keeping their immediate diseases under control. Even kidney diseases caused by infections and other illnesses with no links to diabetes or high blood pressure, can be prevented through awareness of drinking water in the recommended amounts daily and other hygienic practices. There should be regular awareness campaigns about kidney care to prevent ailment.