As the world marks World Kidney Day, patients living with chronic kidney disease are appealing to the Federal Government to make dialysis treatment free or more widely accessible, warning that the rising cost of care is driving many Nigerians into financial despair.
This year’s World Kidney Day theme, “Kidney Health for All – Caring for People, Protecting the Planet”, highlights the urgent need to protect kidney patients while addressing barriers to treatment.
In 2024, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved an 80% subsidy on kidney dialysis across federal hospitals, reducing the cost from ₦50,000 to ₦12,000 per session. However, implementation has been patchy, with some hospitals yet to roll out the programme.
At the National Hospital, Abuja, subsidised dialysis has been suspended due to shortages of essential consumables, forcing patients to pay full fees or source materials themselves.
A source at the dialysis centre confirmed, “We are waiting for another batch of consumables, but we don’t know when. Subsidised dialysis is not ongoing for now.”
Meanwhile, ATBU Teaching Hospital, Bauchi continues the ₦12,000 sessions, benefiting over 15,000 patients from neighbouring states including Gombe, Taraba, Adamawa, and Plateau.
In contrast, hospitals such as FMC Yenagoa and AKTH Kano have yet to fully implement the federal subsidy, leaving patients to shoulder N20,000 per session or more under philanthropist-backed programmes.
For many Nigerians, even subsidised dialysis remains unaffordable. Muhammed Abubakar, a patient in Bauchi, recounted missing a dialysis session due to lack of funds.
“I started dialysis three months ago, and it has exhausted all my resources. If not for my relatives’ help, I wouldn’t have returned,” he said.
In Kano, patients like Fatima Musa, a widow, spend nearly all their earnings on treatment.
“Each session costs ₦20,000. Sometimes I borrow from neighbours just to keep up,” she lamented.
Khalid Umar Babangida, whose mother requires dialysis thrice weekly, also decried long waits and limited machines, saying, “We arrive at 5 am because only five machines are working.”
In Yobe State, the rising prevalence of kidney disease in areas such as Nguru, Gashua, and Jakusko has baffled medical experts for over a decade. Government hospitals provide around 600 free dialysis sessions monthly, yet hundreds still seek care privately.
Patients recount long journeys, costly treatment, and crushing anxiety over survival.
Prof. Jacob Olugbenga Awobusuyi, President of the Nephrology Association of Nigeria (NAN), warned that about 11% of Nigerians live with kidney disease, describing the trend as a growing public health crisis.
He urged state governments to establish more dialysis centres, stressing that federal facilities alone cannot meet demand.
Prof. Awobusuyi highlighted the unique burden on women, citing pregnancy-related kidney disorders and financial dependency as factors limiting access to care.
“Early detection can save lives, but delayed treatment pushes families into catastrophic hardship,” he said.
Investigating the Cause in Yobe
Researchers in Yobe State are exploring possible environmental triggers, including heavy metals in soil and water. Prof. Baba Goni Waru, Chief Medical Director of Yobe State University Teaching Hospital, said dialysis is only a bridge to transplantation, adding that the search for the root cause of kidney failure is ongoing.
Prof. Mahmoud Bukar Maina, Director of the Biomedical Science Research and Training Centre, confirmed that preliminary findings showed elevated heavy metals in some water sources but stressed, “This does not confirm the cause. Scientific evidence takes time, rigour, and collaboration.”
Medical experts are urging Nigerians to adopt preventive measures such as staying hydrated, reducing salt and processed foods, exercising regularly, and managing conditions like hypertension and diabetes.
Awareness campaigns, especially in the North-East, are critical to halting the growing kidney disease crisis.
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