MOH News

Activities of the World Kidney Day Launched under the Theme: “Kidney Health for All”
15 March 2015
The Supervisor General of Prince Fahd bin Salman Charitable Society for the Care of Kidney Failure Patients, His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz underlined that the reason behind continued incidences of renal failure worldwide is the high rate of chronic diseases, especially diabetes and hypertension. He said that the number of kidney patients in the Kingdom, according to the annual statistics of the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation, has reached more than 17,000 including 15,600 patients undergoing hemo-dialysis, while the number of those undergoing peritoneal dialysis amounts to 1,500, in addition to the non-Saudis.
 
While sponsoring today morning the activities of the World Kidney Day held under the theme: “Kidney Health for All”, in the presence of His Excellency the Minister of Health, Mr. Ahmad bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb, Prince Abdulaziz added that the rate of the annual increase reached 9% in a few years, the matter which indicates the seriousness of such growing numbers and necessitates plans to face this increase.
 
He also called for establishing high-level dialysis centers to serve the patients, preparing and qualifying national cadres including physicians, nurses and technicians to serve those patients as well as building and preparing more dialyses centers in all regions of the Kingdom as shown by the field surveys conducted by Prince Fahd bin Salman Charitable Society for the Care of Kidney Failure Patients (Kilana) and approved as a national program in a manner which ensures citizen’s comfort in our country in line with the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, may Allah support him.
 
Meanwhile, Prince Abdulaziz said that many countries are spending money on the treatment of chronic diseases, while the developed countries are directing most of their health expenditures on medical researches and studies as well as awareness campaigns about the importance of prevention against the diseases, noting that spending money on educating citizens about risks of chronic diseases and ways of prevention against them or mitigating their effects is “what we should all strive to realize”.
 
“From this point,” Prince Abdulaziz said, “Prince Fahd bin Salman Charitable Society for the Care of Kidney Failure Patients (Kilana), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH), has been accustomed to celebrating the World Kidney Day every year in March.”
 
He added that this move aims to increase awareness about the kidney functions and to note that diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart diseases stand as main risk factors for patients with chronic kidney disease; that is to be added to urging all patients to regularly examine their kidneys for the early detection of renal diseases, promoting preventive behaviors and briefing health practitioners on their role in the early detection of the kidney disease and controlling it, particularly for people most vulnerable to the chronic kidney disease.
 
Moreover, Prince Abdulaziz highlighted that the celebration of the World Kidney Day aims at encouraging local and national health authorities to assume their role in fighting kidney diseases, as health sectors worldwide are forced to deal with the rising costs and the lack of measures to handle the increasing number of persons with chronic kidney diseases; that is to be added to urging patients to undergo a kidney transplant surgery as the best solution for the treatment of renal failure and encouraging organ donation from the living persons and clinically dead people to save lives of people with renal failure and alleviate their sufferings.
 
“Even though we are all at risk of kidney diseases, people with chronic diseases are at higher risk of developing renal failure as the rate of their infection with renal failure is three times more than healthy people, so they have to adhere to regular examination to reduce the risks of kidney diseases and the related health, social and mental problems,” he added.
 
In a similar fashion, Prince Abdulaziz noted that many kidney diseases could be treated if detected early, the thing which reduces the possibility of developing other complications or occurrence of death as a result of heart and vascular diseases.
 
He said that the cost of treating kidney diseases is not only prone by the patient but it imposes burden on the economy in general, noting that the costs of renal failure treatment and kidney transplantation are expected to reach more than 1 trillion US dollars in the coming decade, as per the estimations of the World Health Organization.
 
Proceeding from the theme of the World Kidney Day dubbed, “Kidney Health for All,” Prince Abdulaziz called on everyone to adopt the principle of prevention, examine the kidney on a regular basis to detect this chronic disease at an early stage and check the element causing renal failure and control it, in a manner which helps delay or prevent kidney functions from deteriorating or reaching the stage of renal failure, thus maintaining the functions of other body organs.
 
Moreover, Prince Abdulaziz extended his thanks to the Ministry of Health represented by His Excellency the Minister of Health, Mr. Ahmad bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb for their interest in health of citizens and residents in the Kingdom, and their special care for patients with renal failure. He also extended his thanks to everyone who contributed to preparing such activities at King Salman Center for Kidney Diseases and Prince Fahd bin Salman Charitable Society for the Care of Kidney Failure Patients, paying tribute to the media bodies for their support and assistance to the society to achieve its charitable objectives and deliver its health awareness message to all.
 
On his part, His Excellency the Minister of Health, Mr. Ahmad bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb, began his speech by extending his deepest thanks and appreciation to the Supervisor General of Prince Fahd bin Salman Charitable Society for the Care of Kidney Failure Patients, His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, for sponsoring the party held on the occasion of the World Kidney Day, and organized by King Salman Center for Kidney Diseases and Prince Fahd bin Salman Charitable Society for the Care of Kidney Failure Patients under the theme: “Kidney Health for All.”
 
Mr. Al-Khateeb underlined that the gathering resemble a national epic embodying the national partnership between the public sector and charitable organizations which laid their foundations in this country, thanks to the directives and support of our wise leadership led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, May Allah protect him.
 
He added that the Kingdom was among the first nations to show keenness on activating World Health Days and make use of them to launch educational campaigns to spread awareness among those living in this blessed country.
 
“As you know,” Mr. Al-Khateeb said, “We have been honored less than a week ago by launching the National Campaign for Kidney Diseases Awareness and Prevention, under the title, “My Kidney…My life,” during MOH’s celebrations of the World Kidney Day, and now we are celebrating this occasion and the accompanying exhibition in another place organized by two pioneering parties in the field of serving kidney patients.”
 
He underlined that this move comes in realization of the importance of raising awareness of kidney diseases, its causes of infection and the accompanying symptoms and in line with the theme chosen by the International Society of Nephrology for this year which is, “Start your day by drinking a cup of water and give one too to those around you”.
 
In the same vein, Mr. Al-Khateeb said that kidney diseases have become an alarming global phenomenon as the international statistics indicated that persons with chronic kidney diseases have surpassed 600 million worldwide at an approximate rate of 14.2% of the world population, while in Saudi Arabia there are 15,000 renal failure patients receiving dialysis through the MOH’s program.
 
He noted that MOH is exerting significant effort to confront this disease by placing emphasis on two pivots: the first is the preventive aspect, by raising awareness and promoting health, while the second is the therapeutic pivot by establishing more kidney centers and units and purchasing the service from the private sector by hiring the world’s leading companies in this field.
 
“However,” Mr. Al-Khateeb said, “We are convinced that it is essential to make use of the effective community participation made by the charitable organizations, atop of which is Prince Fahd bin Salman Charitable Society for the Care of Kidney Failure Patients, one of the institutions which we are proud of its performance and charitable giving, as it reflects a major transformation in the community work, brings about a positive change in the lives of patients with renal failure and expresses at the same time the value of real citizenship.”
 
Mr. Al-Khateeb extended his deepest thanks and appreciation to Prince Abdulaziz for his continuous support and keenness to activate this global occasion. Also, Mr. Al-Khateeb paid tribute to those in charge of King Salman Center for Kidney Diseases for their great effort in this field.
 
Moreover, Mr. Al-Khateeb extended his deepest thanks and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, as well as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister, Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, His Royal Highness the Deputy Crown Prince, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Prince Muhammad bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, for their non-stop support for the health sector in the Kingdom, praying to Allah, the Almighty, to perpetuate for this country its security, stability and prosperity under its wise leadership.
 
On his part, the Supervisor General of King Salman Center for Kidney Diseases, Dr. Mohammed bin Nasser Aome, said that renal failure is reckoned a worldwide health problem and represent a difficult challenge for all world countries, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where the number of patients with end-stage renal failure undergoing hemo and peritoneal dialysis surpasses 14,700, according to the latest statistics of the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation, the matter which requires activating awareness and educational campaigns from one side and developing kidney diseases early detection programs on the other side.
 
In this sense, Mr. Aome added that this year’s campaign focused on two sides, the first one is awareness, including providing lectures and educational brochures and organizing the accompanying exhibition, while the second included establishing clinics for detecting signs of renal failure to help in the early detection of the major causes of renal failure, including diabetes and high blood pressure.
 
In addition, Mr. Aome said a medical and awareness team from King Salman Center for Kidney Diseases had visited schools and universities and set up mobile clinics at some commercial complexes for conducting primary examinations to detect signs of renal failure, as well as presenting awareness lectures on kidney diseases.
 
Concluding, Mr. Aome pointed out that the International Society of Nephrology, in realization of the seriousness of diabetes and blood pressure diseases, has been keen to choose themes for the World Kidney Day, that highlight the importance of prevention and control of those two diseases and their complications as its theme for the year 2009 was, “Protect your kidneys: Keep your pressure down,” while its theme for the following year was, “Protect your kidneys: Control diabetes,” and its theme for this year is, “Kidney Health for All”.
 
 
 



Last Update : 17 March 2015 02:47 PM
Reading times :