Inside the Yobe government’s fight against kidney diseases

In a region plagued by poverty compounded by nearly two decades of violent insurgency by the terrorist group Boko Haram, the onset of widespread chronic kidney disease severely affects life expectancy.

With chronic kidney disease (CKD) reaching epidemic proportions, the government of Yobe State in northeast Nigeria is pioneering a unique approach to combat this dangerous deadly disease.

A recent study published by Africa Journal Online showed that the prevalence of CKD is high in the Northern District of Yobe State. The report indicated that the origin of the disease is “unknown” and recommended further studies “to define the environmental or cultural factors that contribute to the high prevalence in this region.”

The numbers have been alarming, said the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Yobe State Teaching Hospital in Damaturu, Baba-Waru Goni. The professor said that his hospital performs more than 60 dialysis sessions per week.

Government to the rescue

Concerned about this dangerous trend, Governor Mai-Mala Buni’s administration recently launched a program that offers free dialysis to patients and invests in innovative research “aimed at uncovering the root causes of the disease.”

While interacting with journalists on the intervention, the state Commissioner for Information, Bego Abdullahi, spoke of the governor’s commitment and determination to address the challenge.

Since the start of the intervention, the CMD, Mr Goni, said the hospital conducts an average of 60 free dialysis sessions per week, with each session costing N50,000.

Article page with financial support promotion

“This is a lifeline for patients who would otherwise not be able to afford the treatment,” said Mr Goni.

“The government has to shoulder that cost because there is no way an individual or family already struggling with the financial devastation that accompanies kidney failure can afford this.”

The beneficiaries speak

For Musa Ibrahim, 45, who had almost given up on his life, the initiative is a ray of hope.

“I thought it was over,” Ibrahim said, his voice shaking with emotion as he spoke to this reporter from his sickbed.

“The pain was unbearable and the cost of dialysis was out of my reach. But then, the state government intervened. “They are saving my life.”

Fatima Yusuf, a mother of three, was also diagnosed with kidney failure a year ago.

“When the doctors told me about my condition, I felt like the earth was swallowing me,” he recalls. “I couldn’t imagine how I could afford the treatment. But now, with free dialysis sessions, I have hope again. “I thank the Yobe government, under the kind leadership of Governor Mai-Mala Buni and the medical team at this hospital, for this life-saving intervention.”

Investigating the root cause

The impact of the state government’s initiative goes beyond providing immediate help. Yobe State University has established the Biomedical Sciences, Research and Training Centre, where a consortium of foreign-trained medical scientists is delving into the causes of the kidney disease epidemic.

“We are conducting pioneering research to understand why kidney disease is so common in our region,” said Mr. Goni, CMD.

“This research is crucial because it offers the potential to not only treat but also prevent this devastating disease in the future.”

The initiative has received praise from both medical professionals and patients.

“The state government’s commitment is unprecedented and has set a new standard for healthcare intervention,” the CMD said, adding: “By offering free dialysis and investing in essential research, we are not only managing the crisis but actively seeking to eradicate it.” “.

The Yobe State Government said it has invested over N1 billion in equipment and personnel capacity building to enable it to establish the BioRTC, a research center that will provide solutions to local problems.

Donor greets initiative

Goni said equipment worth more than one billion naira had been procured with the support of the state government through grants and donations obtained through Mahmoud Maina, a British-Nigerian neuroscientist, educator and researcher at the University of Sussex in the USA. Kingdom.

Mahmoud, a native of Yobe State, focuses his research on the cellular and molecular pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease.

Speaking to Newslodgeduring a virtual meeting, Mahmoud said the nature of the rare medical devices at the center drives the research.

“What we have at BioRTC includes state-of-the-art equipment such as Applied Biosystems, 7300 Real-Time PCR System, jeZeiss 780 and 700 Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopes, LI-COR Odyssey Imaging, Complete Tissue Culture Suite, Cell Biobanking, Microscope Nikon Eclipse 50i with fluorescence, Bio-Rad Mini-Protean system, UVP BioDoc-It imaging systems and others,” he said.

others speak

BioRTC officials stated that the equipment has clinical significance due to its ability to visualize detailed cellular structures and perform live cell imaging. These features help observe dynamic processes within cells in real time.

“Multicolor fluorescence imaging allows for the simultaneous visualization of multiple fluorescent markers, which is essential for complex biological studies such as cancer research, neuroscience, and developmental biology,” the center’s researchers said.

“In addition, the complete tissue culture suite, which supports drug testing and development, enables the screening of potential drugs in cultured cells, thereby accelerating the development of new therapies.”

The director of the centre, identified simply as Kawuwa, a professor, said following the approval of the Yobe State Government, Mahmoud, who is overseeing the work at BioRTC, has initiated a tripartite partnership between the Yobe State University Teaching Hospital and the University College. London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

“The objective of this partnership is to investigate the rise of kidney diseases in Yobe and Borno states and develop effective solutions,” Mr Kawuwa said.

He added that the center is currently located in a small single-block laboratory within the Yobe State University campus. However, he noted that its expansion has become necessary due to the arrival of cutting-edge medical research equipment supported by the Wellcome Trust and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

“We are happy that the Yobe State Government has approved the construction of a complex for BioRTC that would house the additional medical equipment we expect, in addition to what we have now,” Mr Kawuwa said.