He added that Nigeria's disease burden has increased significantly over the past decade. To reduce the global burden of kidney disease, world kidney day is commemorated every year on the second Thursday of March to create awareness about kidney disease, its causes, and prevention.
This year's theme, "Kidney health for all: Preparing for the unexpected and supporting the vulnerable," aims to educate vulnerable people such as the motherless, refugees, and Internally Displaced Persons on kidney disease and how to prevent it.
Raji emphasised that prevention is quite essential, and it is necessary to find a way to prevent the disease rather than treat it, as dialysis or kidney transplantation can be very expensive and out of reach for many people. Therefore, people with diabetes, hypertension or other ailments that could cause kidney disease should go to appropriate places for treatment.
Raji stated that several factors could cause kidney disease, including the abuse of painkiller drugs. People should avoid self-medication and visit hospitals when they are sick. He advised people to drink plenty of water, reduce their salt intake, and eat lots of fruits.
Raji also urged people to avoid packaged foods and visit hospitals regularly, not only when sick. He stressed that the government could not do it alone and needed support to reduce the burden of kidney disease. The government could support this by making dialysis free to minimise the disadvantage of people suffering from the disease.