CHARLESTOWN, Nevis, Mar.09.2018 – AS St. Kitts and Nevis yesterday (Mar. 08.) joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Kidney Day, Junior Minister of Health in the NIA, Hazel Brandy-Williams says that her government will seek to address the problem of Kidney Disease amongst women.
Kidney Day was commemorated this year with International Women’s Day under the theme – ‘Kidneys and Women’s Health: Include, Value, Empower’.
Minister Brandy-Williams explained that the theme calls for reflection on the 195 million women worldwide who are living with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), as well as the 600,000 women who die annually.
In St. Kitts and Nevis, CKD is not one of the leading causes of illness and death, however, non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and some cancers represent the greatest burden of disease, accounting for over 80 percent of deaths per year, she stated.
Those are risk factors for chronic kidney disease in both men and women, and according to the minister, attention must be placed on the 70 percent of diabetic and hypertensive individuals that are female.
“As Minister of Health and Gender Affairs, I pledge my government’s commitment to ensure the promotion of healthy lives and well-being as enshrined in Sustainable Development Goal #3, as well as to ensure that gender equality will be attained as outlined in Sustainable Development Goal #5.
“As such, my government will address the barriers that contribute to the higher prevalence of CKD in women versus their male counterparts, at 14 percent and 12 percent respectively.”
She said that the Ministry of Health will continue to demonstrate a commitment to the greater awareness of CKD, as well as ensuring access to treatment.
Against that backdrop, she pointed out that education programmes will also be expanded into primary schools, with the existing school health programme addressing the issue of CKD and its risk factors in more detail with additional focus placed on healthy diet and exercises.
“Our existing health education programme on non-communicable diseases including CKD has been expanded as the result of a three-year project with the government of China (Taiwan) which to date has resulted in the training of over 50 physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers in Nevis alone.”
According to the Junior Minister, access to end-stage renal care through hemodialysis services will soon be a reality in Nevis.
That comes as the local government is in the process of expanding the Alexandra Hospital to include a Dialysis Unit with adequate water treatment capabilities.
“This will ensure physical access on island to the three patients from Nevis who are currently on hemodialysis, some of whom are women.,” said Brandy-Williams.
