CHRONIC Kidney Disease (CKD) is a growing public health concern. The Global Burden of Disease 2015 study estimated that, in 2015, about 1.2 million people died from kidney failure, an increase of 32% since 2005.
In Malaysia, the prevalence of CKD has increased from 9.1% in the 2011 Malaysian National Health and Morbidity Survey to 15.5% in 2018.
The number of patients with CKD is expected to significantly rise in the future largely due to the increasing prevalence of diabetes, hypertension as well as the ageing population in Malaysia.
With the aim of improving kidney care of Malaysians, the Medical Tweet Association Malaysia (MedTweetMY) and the National Kidney Foundation of Malaysia (NKF) together with the Health Ministry (MOH) launched the Duta Ginjal (DuGin) and Pre-Dialysis Education Programme (PDEP) at the Putrajaya Marriott Hotel.
The programme, officiated by the Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, was designed to provide comprehensive knowledge transfer through kidney ambassadors and an enjoyable learning experience to kidney disease patients and their caregivers while assisting them with making informed decisions and adjusting to life with the disease.
Speaking during the event, Khairy reiterated his ministry’s commitment to the management of treatment for all patients including CKD patients.
“Today, through the MYBuahPinggang platform, a special module has been developed by a group of physicians, especially for stage 4 and 5 CKD patients to obtain important information thus helping them with the treatment they receive, allowing them to survive their battle against this disease,” he said.
“This module, better known as the ‘Pre-Dialysis Education Programme’ was developed with the support of Baxter Healthcare Malaysia and is a collaboration between the Nephrology Services of MOH and the Higher Education Ministry (MOHE) and led by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), the Malaysian Society of Nephrology, the National Kidney Foundation and AstraZeneca.”
“With this Pre-Dialysis Education Programme as well as the MYBuahPinggang website and Facebook, it is hoped that the level of understanding for patients and their family members can be improved and it will encourage them to make earlier decisions about treatment options for CKD.”
One out of 10 adults worldwide have CKD
CKD is common and harmful: One out of 10 adults worldwide have it, and if left untreated it can be deadly.
Early detection allows for disease care and management to help prevent morbidity and mortality.
However, improving cost-effectiveness and sustainability, kidney disease-related mortality continues to increase yearly and is projected to be the fifth leading cause of death by 2040.
A persistent and ongoing CKD knowledge gap exists, one that is demonstrable at all levels of healthcare.
“My friend, nephrologist Dr Wong Koh Wei reported in his publication the Medical Journal of Malaysia that 74.3% of end-stage renal failure patients start their dialysis treatment without preparation,” said MedTweetMY vice chairman and MyBuahPinggang co-chairman Dr Rafidah Datuk Abdullah said.
“The risk of complications and death was higher when compared with patients who had been prepared before starting their dialysis treatment.”
According to Dr Rafidah, the study that was published by the international journal BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies showed many dialysis patients (72.3%) took supplements without referring to the doctor who was treating them.
“These actions can endanger their own condition and some have had to be admitted to intensive care units. Things like this need to be emphasised in the education of our patients so that their health continues to be preserved,” she noted.
“I believe this module will provide adequate information for patients and their family members to make appropriate treatment decisions and be able to weather the challenges of End-Stage Chronic Kidney (ESKD) failure.” – April 1, 2022
