By Edward Dankwah
Accra, Aug 13, GNA – Dr Mensah Amoah, a Physician Specialist at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), has urged Ghanaians to prioritise preventive lifestyle changes to reduce kidney disease rates.
He said these included achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, adhering to a balanced diet, engaging in regular physical activity, reducing the consumption of fatty foods and excess calories, and avoiding toxic intakes.
“Many herbal medications may pose risks to kidney health, as all drugs have potential side effects which can be managed but the lack of comprehensive understanding on the side effects of herbal remedies limits our ability to address and manage these risks effectively,” he added.
The Physician Specialist was speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of an Education Group Seminar organised by the Public Health Nurses School (PHNS) of the KBTH in Accra.
The Seminar was on the topic, “High rate of kidney diseases, incidence and its implications: A condition of public health concern.”
The Seminar was to raise awareness by educating public health nurses about the increasing prevalence of kidney diseases, its risk factors, and consequences.
It also sought to provide a platform for experts to share latest research findings, trends, and best practices in kidney disease prevention, diagnosis, and management as well as to explore the social, economic and healthcare implications of the disease on individuals and the nation.
Dr Amoah said in Ghana, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease at various stages ranged from approximately 14 to 17 percent, compared to a global prevalence of around 10 percent.
He said this indicated that, like many other Sub-Saharan African countries, Ghana experienced a higher prevalence of chronic kidney disease relative to global averages.
Dr Amoah said in terms of diagnosis, most healthcare facilities were equipped with clinicians who could identify kidney diseases and conduct laboratory tests to confirm their presence.
He said, however, many patients tended to present symptoms at a later stage, resulting in a delayed diagnosis in most healthcare settings.
Dr Amoah said regarding the treatment of early-stage chronic kidney disease, most hospitals had physicians who could prescribe medications to manage the condition and control risk factors, however, there was a limited number of hospitals in Ghana that offered dialysis services.
“Only about 10 out of 16 regions have dialysis, and most of these are limited to the regional capitals, towns or cities, where people have to travel several kilometres else lose their lives” he added.
Dr Amoah said there was a shortage of healthcare professionals trained to manage chronic kidney disease, including at the early stages, as well as specialised nursing staff to care for kidney patients.
The Physician Specialist said if the current trends were not addressed, particularly regarding prevention, early detection, and intervention, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease was likely to increase, resulting in a significant loss of younger individuals to the condition.
The Physician Specialist said currently there was a research study underway at KBTH and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, focusing on the development and introduction of new medications for the treatment of kidney disease.
Mrs Abena Ayesua Addo-Paintsil, a student at the PHNS, said as public health nurses, being knowledgeable about kidney diseases was vital for conducting effective awareness programmes that promoted prevention and early detection, which were key to reducing kidney disease incidence.
She said the institution had implemented community outreach programmes to address kidney diseases in various communities on the causes of kidney disease, such as hypertension and diabetes, and provided aftercare for patients in their homes.
Mrs Addo-Paintsil said these efforts had been successful in changing behaviours and reducing the incidence of kidney disease, with examples of people adopting healthier lifestyles, such as reducing herbal medication use and quitting smoking.
GNA