It should be noted that the number of patients undergoing treatment increased slightly. In October last year, the Minister of Health, Sílvia Lutucuta, had stated that 2800 kidney patients were undergoing hemodialysis in the country, and currently that number has risen to 3000, the majority of which fall within the age group between 18 and 45 years.
However, despite the number of patients receiving treatment, Malanda – speaking to Angop on the occasion of World Kidney Day, which is celebrated this Thursday – drew attention to the fact that it is necessary to consider the group of patients who do not have completed the diagnosis and are unaware of the pathology.
"The number of people undergoing treatment seems to be few, but there is a number of people who need to be identified in order to receive treatment," he pointed out.
Therefore, he considered that citizens must be informed about the symptoms of the disease in order to put a stop to major complications that can even cause death, as the mortality rate varies between 18 and 20 percent.
"We receive many cases of people with kidney problems, but when the diagnosis is made properly and in advance the patient has a great chance of being cured", he said, quoted by Angop, adding that many patients are registered in an "acute condition", for having contracted other associated diseases, such as malaria.
"Diagnose and educate more about kidney disease" is this year's motto. According to Malanda, the choice of this motto is based on the fact that many people are still unaware of this disease, as well as the risks that cases of hemodialysis can cause.
The official also said that approximately 70 percent of patients undergoing treatment discover the disease accidentally, for example during an ophthalmology consultation.
Furthermore, he also mentioned that this disease also affects children, stating that approximately five percent of patients with kidney failure are children. Thus, he stated that "there are several signs and symptoms and parents should be alert in those cases where the child constantly wakes up to urinate and when he does so creates a lot of foam", among other symptoms, stating that if they suspect something to go to a health unit, writes Angop.
Excessive alcohol consumption, history of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, among others, are some of the causes that can cause kidney problems.
