Arogundade Reveals 25.4 Million Nigerians Face Kidney Disease

During the 430th Inaugural Lecture at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Professor Fatiu Arogundade, Vice Chancellor of the University of Medicine and Medical Sciences in Abeokuta, stated that about 25.4 million adult Nigerians may be living with chronic kidney disease (CKD). He described CKD as an epidemic and a significant public health challenge, urging for a national response focusing on prevention, early detection, and affordable treatment.

Arogundade noted the absence of a national registry for CKD prevalence and cited a pooled prevalence of 20.4% from studies involving 14,250 participants. He highlighted that CKD predominantly affects individuals aged 20 to 50 in Nigeria, with hypertension and glomerulonephritis as leading causes.

He also pointed out that the high cost of kidney replacement therapy and inadequate health insurance coverage hinder access to care. Arogundade called for government subsidies for dialysis and kidney transplantation and advocated for increased health insurance coverage.