Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in South Africa is soaring, with Discovery Health revealing that members registered for the condition had more than quadrupled between 2008 and 2022, from about 1 700 to 8 100.
Additionally, reports News24, the average age of members registered for a chronic kidney disease in 2022 was just 59 – and in the same year, more than 100 children were also registered.
Marking Kidney Awareness Week this month, the Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA) said high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity tax the kidneys hard and can lead to CKD and renal failure, while Fadhl Solomon, cardiovascular product manager for Pharma Dynamics, said about 2 000 patients were awaiting kidney transplants in SA.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Provincial and public/private sector disparities in kidney treatment – SA study
Older age and baseline kidney function the key risk factors for CKD in people with HIV
Africa’s first incompatible kidney transplant at Groote Schuur