AMSA observes World Kidney Day 2018 |08 March 2018
Today the world is observing the 13th World Kidney Day (WKD), a joint initiative organised by the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF).
WKD is the most widely celebrated event focused on kidney health across the globe.
AMSA Renal Care in Seychelles observes the World Kidney Day every year with a series of events and community services and this year is going to be the grandest. There are several events lined up from today up to March 11, 2018 under the
theme ‘Kidneys & Women’s Health: Include, Value, Empower’.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide public health problem - 10% of the population worldwide is impacted by some form of kidney damage. CKD 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. According to some studies, CKD is more likely to develop in women compared with men, with an average 14% prevalence in women and 12% in men; the reasons may be [1] lower disease awareness lead to late or no start of dialysis among women and [2] uneven access to healthcare. Kidney transplantation is also unequally spread, mostly due to social, cultural and psychological aspects; even in some countries that provide equitable treatment for men and women, women tend more often to donate kidneys and are less likely to receive them.
Some kidney diseases, such as lupus nephropathy or kidney infection (as most UTI) is more common in women and the risk increases in pregnancy. To ensure good results,diagnosis and treatment should be timely. CKD is also considered a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcome and reduced fertility. There is a clear need for higher awareness on CKD in pregnancy, to timely identify CKD in pregnancy, and to follow-up women with CKD during and after pregnancy.
AMSA wishes to address issues of equitable healthcare access for women where it is currently lacking and increase awareness and education to facilitate women’s access to treatment and better health outcomes. So AMSA will organise a free kidney health screening for women at the Baie Ste Anne hospital on Praslin on March 10, 2018 from 9am to 1pm.
Exercises including walking reduces high blood pressure and obesity, two of the leading causes of kidney disease. This is why AMSA encourages civil society, decision-makers, health ministries and professionals as well as patients to walk for healthy kidneys. In this light, AMSA is organising a ‘Kidney Health Awareness Walk’ from the Seychelles Hospital on March 11, 2018 starting at 8am.
AMSA will distribute kidney health awareness leaflets during the events.
There are also some activities organised within the dialysis unit mostly aiming at awareness.
Nursing manager for the unit Ms Sinon will today appear on the television programme ‘Bonzour Sesel’.
The quality of dialysis and renal care in Seychelles has improved many folds in the last three years after AMSA was entrusted with the responsibility of maganing it. This department has the highest compliance for universal precautions for infection control in the hospital. It has the highest Nephrologist Per-Million-Patient (PMP) rate in Africa having over 150 patients on dialysis. Life expectancy has greatly improved for the dialysis patients. With an aim to further improve the service AMSA is currently building a new dialysis unit with 15 beds and a state-of-the-art RO plant which is expected to be operational by May 2018.
In October 2017 AMSA Renal Care in Seychelles was awarded the ‘Best Healthcare Unit in Public Private Partnership’ in MEA by Middle East & Africa Heath Care Leadership Awards held in Dubai. This is the highest international achievement by any healthcare provider in Seychelles. Free transport provided by AMSA to its patients and staff in Seychelles also landed it the “Best CSR practice in Health Care”.