All news

World Kidney Day marked in Russia

MOSCOW, March 12, 6:49 /ITAR-TASS/. In Russia, 15 million of people have problems with kidneys. Almost 90 percent of people suffering from chronic kidney diseases die of cardio-vascular diseases. These data are being given by the Rusian Ministry of Health in connection with the World Kidney Day which is marked on the second Thursday of March every year.

"At present, our principal aim is to join together with the world community in the efforts to reduce mortality rate among patients with kidney diseases by cutting down the number of deaths from myocardial infarctions and heart attacks," Professor Yevgeny Shilov, a nephrologist, the RF Health Ministry's Chief Specialist, pointed out.

Shilov recalled that kidnry diseases provoke obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Professor Shilov considers it necessary to include the question of raising the effectiveness of the treatment of kidney diseases in the health care development programme as well as to increase the number of State-financed places in nephrology residency training. Demand in Russia for this kind of physicians is four times as great as the number of currently working nephrologists.

The problem of kidney insufficiency also inflicts quite a telling economic loss. Such patients are in need of a dialysis procedure. This costs the State 24 billion roubles a year.

"Four killet diseases whic have been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) are know to everyone. They constitute the main causes of people's deaths : cardio-vasclars, diabetes, oncology, and pulmonary diseases. Kidney diseases are of the same kind of gravity," Professor Shilov pointed out. He recalled that "WHO and the UN have now classified chronic nephritic disorders as a potential fifth killer disease".