Make kidney care part of PHC programme, VC urges FG
A university VC, Prof. Fatiu Arogundade, has urged the FG to make kidney care part of the primary health care programme to tackle the disease burden. Read More:…
The PUNCH report highlights a call by Prof. Fatiu Arogundade, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Abeokuta, for kidney care to become part of Nigeria’s primary healthcare programme. Arogundade, a professor of medicine and nephrology, says chronic kidney disease represents a significant health burden and can affect Nigerians during their economically productive years. He argues that tackling the problem should begin at the grassroots through public education, routine screening and early detection, including screening of children from nursery through tertiary education.
The broader message is that Nigeria’s response to kidney disease needs to shift from expensive late-stage treatment towards prevention and early intervention. Arogundade calls for stronger awareness, screening and management of conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, while warning against risk factors including smoking, excessive use of painkillers, unregulated local remedies and exposure to environmental toxins. He also advocates a national kidney-care policy and wider access to dialysis and transplantation, arguing that lifesaving treatment should be accessible regardless of income or location. The report therefore presents kidney disease as a national primary-healthcare challenge rather than an issue that should only be addressed when patients reach specialist hospitals.