By Alphonsus Okoroigwe, Enugu
Calls have intensified for stakeholders to support people with kidney failure and related diseases, as they continue to negatively impact the population.
This is coming on the heels of the medical outreach organised by Okwuluora Initiative in Enugu last Thursday, attracting over five hundred patients including children from different parts of the state.
Speaking with the Purveyor, the group’s founder Emmanuel Onyeka Okoh lamented the increasing rate of deaths mostly resulting from renal failure, particularly in southeastern Nigeria.
“I can assure you that if you test everyone in the South East today, you’ll get up to ten thousand people with kidney failure. A lot of people are dying,” he said.
“I get photos of dead bodies on WhatsApp, with the number increasing every day. And that’s why we’re trying to intensify efforts at curing patients and finding the root cause of kidney failure among our people.”
He urged governments at federal and state levels to commit more resources to preserving human life than anything else, improving the quality of care for kidney patients.
“Governments should step in here to save this ugly situation. They should rise to the occasion because the core duty of any government is to preserve life. They should join and support this cause because people are really dying.”
Michael Nwoye, a patient, lamented his deteriorating condition, calling for help from the public with tears dropping from his sunken eyes.
“All my money is finished. I had two shops in the market before but my poor condition has dried me up. Everything is gone.
“It’s very difficult for me to afford food right now, and more challenging now is getting money for my medication. Please I seriously need assistance, as my situation is worsening. No amount is little,” he said.
For Sonia Mmesoma Enwere, 24, the road to recovery had been financially challenging as well.
“I was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in June 2026. I’ve been admitted in Regina Caeli Hospital twice. But I came out of the hospital due to financial constraint, going for routine checkup from home,” she said.
“I’m on dialysis at a laboratory, where I go twice a week. And the doctor said the only lasting solution to my condition is kidney transplant.”
She appealed to governments and well-meaning individuals to assist in raising the N50million required for the transplant.
“I’m pleading because my parents can’t afford such a huge amount of money. I’m begging everyone to help me so that I can continue to live and fulfill my dreams.
“I’m just starting life, but this is what life has given to me. Please I’m calling on everyone to help me stay alive.”
According to Michael Agu, certified nurse and public health specialist, “Kidney failure is so much linked to our eating habit. Our people mostly eat carbohydrates, and too much of them can cause insulin resistance that raises the risk for Type 2 diabetes.
“Stress is another cause of kidney failure among our people. As we busy ourselves every day trying to solve one family problem or another, most of us compound stress by not making out time to rest.
“This can cause sustained blood pressure over time and damage many organs in the body, including the kidneys. Also, the rate at which some people consume alcohol is so alarming that it can damage their kidneys by upsetting the way they balance fluids and electrolytes,” he added.
An estimated 24 million Nigerians live with chronic kidney disease (CKD), the National Association of Nephrology reports; a situation that has compelled calls to the federal government to build more dialysis centres and re-equip existing ones to reduce its mortality rate.
“Nigeria is rich enough to entrench a health system that works for the citizens, considering its huge resources.
“So, there’s need for government to establish more standard facilities to check the increasing deaths from chronic kidney disease,” Gozie Kingsley said.
