• Pregnant women with high blood pressure are at high risk of kidney diseases

Kathmandu, March 7

Data with Human Organ Transplant Centre suggests that women kidney patients are not receiving proper treatment.

As per the data with Human Organ Transplant Centre, from among the 410 patients, who underwent kidney transplantation at the centre, only 91 were women till date.

“Women health is not given high priority in the country. They aren’t even taken to health centres regularly. If they suffer from kidney diseases and need a transplantation there are only a few families where the members are willing to donate kidneys. But if a male member suffers from the same disease, females willingly donate kidneys to their husbands, sons, and fathers. It is our social structure which subjugates a woman to a man,” said Dr Rishi Kumar Kafle, executive director, National Kidney Centre.

“Women are more prone to kidney diseases. Pregnant women with high blood pressure and infection runs high risk of suffering from kidney diseases. Women are more prone to urinary tract infection and the infection is more recurrent in them. They are also more vulnerable to lupus — an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks one’s own tissues and organs. All these health problems increase the chances of various kidney diseases in women. This is why the medical team and the society should be more serious about women health give them timely treatment,” said Dr Kafle.

Though there is no exact data of the numbers of kidney patients with the government it is estimated that 3,000 new patients are added in the country each year as per Dr Kafle. As may as 65,098 people have undergone dialysis at the centre in the fiscal year 2016-17.

Drinking plenty of water, adequate exercise, maintaining healthy habits and regular health check-up can help to keep kidneys safe, as per the doctor.  Chronic kidney disease affects approximately 195 million women worldwide and it is currently the 8th leading cause of death in women, with close to 600,000 deaths each year.

World Kidney Day, which falls tomorrow, is a global awareness campaign aimed at raising awareness of the importance of our kidneys and to help the women get an opportunity to reflect on the importance of women’s health.