As the world marks World Kidney Day, Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) has announced free checkup for kidney disease.
The activity is set to take place at the hospital premises on March 15, 2024, from 8 in the morning to 4:00 PM.
In a statement, KUTRRH urged public members to confirm their attendance by submitting their personal information through an online biodata.
“Free kidney checkup at KUTRRH grounds on Friday 15th March 2024. Register here to confirm your attendance,” read the notice.
Through the online forms, individuals are required to give their full names, phone numbers and their gender then submit for review.
Kidney Check-up Test
The checkup will entail urinalysis whereby medical practitioners will check the appearance, concentration and content of an individual’s urine.
Other tests that will be conducted are blood pressure testing, blood sugar testing, BMI, nutritional counselling and health education.
The hospital further gave guidelines on how individuals can protect themselves from being infected by disease.
Also Read: Patient Speaks After KNH Doctors Perform First Ever Special Kidney Surgery
Keeping fit and active, controlling blood sugar level and monitoring blood pressure are the major ways to prevent the disease.
Others include, eating healthy and maintaining a healthy fluid intake.
Additionally, individuals are advised to avoid smoking and also taking over the counter pills.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are all linked to high health care costs, poor quality of life, and serious adverse health outcomes.
What’s more, the disease can rarely be treated when chronic hence the need for regular checkups.
Statistics of the Disease
According to data by Kenya’s Ministry of health, kidney disease will be projected as the 5th cause of premature death globally by 2040.
Within the country, nearly 5,000,000 individuals grapple with chronic kidney disease with a significant portion unaware of their condition.
Also Read: KU Hospital Puts Kenya on the Map After One-of-a-Kind Treatment
Moreover, over 12,000 people are facing end stage kidney disease necessitating dialysis, a treatment that presently supports over 5,000 patients across the country.
Also, there are 214 kidney dialysis units nationwide with 54 being public, 143 private and 17 faith-based health facilities.
In addressing the end stage kidney disease, kidney transplantation emerges as the preferred cause of action.
According to KUTRRH, Kenya boasts multiple transplant centers to facilitate kidney treatment.