Rwandans have been urged to live health lifestyles as a way of preventing kidney diseases among other Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs).

The call was made by medics on Saturday during the World Kidney Day celebrations held at the car free zone in Kigali.

The World Kidney Day is a global awareness campaign aimed at raising awareness on the importance of the kidneys to the overall human health.

It is observed annually on the second Thursday of March and this year it was celebrated globally on March 9.

In Rwanda, however, it was marked on March 11.

The event was organised by Rwanda Kidney Organisation in collaboration with the Rwanda Biomedical Centre NCDs division.

It involved a number of activities including a walk from CHUK to Kigali car free zone where people gathered for free kidney health screening, awareness prevention messages, speeches, testimonies from kidney disease survivors, among other activities.

Speaking at the event, Dr Jeannine Condo, the Director General of Rwanda Biomedical Centre urged Rwandans to make use of the "easy” preventive measures rather than waiting to fall sick and spend much on treatment.

"The cost to treat NCDs is very high. So it is always better to make sure that you prevent these diseases. Things like doing physical exercise, eating a healthy diet are easy yet they keep you in good health,” she said.

In Rwanda, data from Health Management Information System Rwanda shows that 3650 cases of patients with chronic kidney diseases were registered between 2013 to 2015 and hypertension, diabetes and HIV are the leading causes of chronic kidney diseases.

Kidney diseases result from a variety of causes both communicable and non-communicable, including diabetes, hypertension, obesity, malaria, HIV and other infections, hereditary conditions, drugs and toxins and pregnancy related incidences to mention but a few.

The global theme of the day was "Kidney disease and obesity” where obesity was pointed out as a potent risk factor for the development of kidney disease as it increases the risk of developing diabetes and hypertension which are strong risk factors for kidney diseases.

The Rwanda 2015 steps survey shows that 2.7 per cent of the population is obese. Obesity of women in Rwanda is 4.7 per cent against 0.8 percent of men. Prevalence of obesity in urban areas is 10.2 percent. Hypertension accounts for 15.9 per cent and diabetes 3 percent.

Gilbert Rugamba, a pediatric nephrologist at King Faisal Hospital and president of the Rwanda Renal Society, an organisation of experts offering sensitisation to fellow medics concerning kidney issues, said though the government is doing its best, there is still a challenge of few kidney experts in the country.

He also highlighted the fact that the medical equipment used in treating kidneys are still limited which makes it difficult for kidney patients to access all the needed treatment.

Dr Condo said that Rwanda Biomedical Centre is making efforts to extend kidney dialysis treatment to all districts and provincial hospitals in the country.

Between 8 and 10 percent of the adult population have some form of kidney damage and every year millions die prematurely of complications related to chronic kidney diseases.

About one in 10 people have some degree of chronic kidney diseases, according to medics.

The risk of getting kidney diseases is more common with increasing age. After the age of 40, kidney filtration begins to fall by approximately 1per cent per year.

It is estimated that about one in five men and one in four women between the ages of 65 and 74 and half of people aged 75 or more have chronic kidney diseases.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw