AKU’s Continuing Medical Education seminar on World Kidney Day

10 million adults in Pakistan suffering from kidney disease

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"As many as 10 million adults in Pakistan may be suffering from some form of kidney disease, and thus are at risk of its adverse outcomes including eventual need for dialysis or premature death from heart disease." This was stated by Dr Tazeen Jafar, Associate Professor and Consultant Nephrologist , and Head, Section of Nephrology in the Department of Medicine at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH). She was speaking at a seminar titled "Early Detection and Prevention of Chronic Kidney Disease - Are Your Kidneys OK?" - held by the University's office of Continuing Medical Education to commemorate World Kidney Day on March 8, 2007. Dr Jafar highlighted the existing and rapidly rising burden of chronic kidney disease in Pakistan, and emphasised the need for aggressive screening for presence of kidney disease by simple blood and urine test of men and women with diabetes, hypertension, obesity, aged 50 years or over, as well as those with family history of kidney disease. She also underlined the screening strategies and programmes best suited for a country like Pakistan.

The seminar was directed towards primary care physicians, general practitioners and family practice doctors and was attended by a large number of doctors along with medical students and trainees. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Mohammad Khurshid, the Dean of Aga Khan University Medical College said that holding this event, and focusing on its theme is consistent with the University's mission of taking the lead in all global health public health disease prevention programs.

Dr Wasim Jafri, Chairman of the Department of Medicine at AKU, said that this seminar will help create awareness of screening of people in "high-risk groups" for kidney disease, with the aim to convey the importance of this message to government health officials, general physicians, allied health professionals, individuals and families.

Dr Jaffar Naqvi, President, Kidney Foundation of Pakistan, shared his findings on the situation of patients with kidney failure on dialysis in Pakistan, and his experience of the End Stage Renal Failure Registry. He stressed the need for government-sponsored haemodialysis programmes.

The seminar was also addressed by other health care professionals: Dr Waqar Kashif, Assistant Professor and Consultant Nephrologist at AKUH, spoke on strategies to slow progression of kidney disease. He emphasised the importance of good control of blood pressure and blood glucose, and the lowering of urine protein excretion to prevent development of kidney failure. Dr Aasim Ahmed, Director, Kidney Center discussed the potential benefits of how kidney transplantation could be made a more cost-effective option, and the importance of lowering cost of medications needed after such treatment.

Professor Iqtidar Khan, Professor and Consultant Paediatric Nephrologist, AKUH, spoke on the prevention of kidney diseases in children and highlighted the role of the general physician in this regard. Dr Farhat Abbas, Chief Operating Officer and Consultant Urologist at AKUH also spoke on the prevention of kidney failure due to recurrent stone disease, and the importance of drinking plenty of water especially in those predisposed to this condition.

The presentations were followed by a panel discussion which had some of the city's renowned nephrologists, including Dr Iffat Yazdani of Liaquat National Hospital, Dr Fazal Akhar of SIUT, and Dr Muhammad Azharuddin, Dr Arshad Ahmed, and Dr. Mansoor Shah of AKUH.

For the benefit of referring physicians and their patients, AKU regularly organises Continued Medical Education seminars and workshops. These programmes are designed to provide a current, practical update on the management of medical problems faced by primary care physicians and specialists.

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