2.5 lakh children in Bangladesh suffer from chronic kidney disease

At least 50 lakh children in Bangladesh are affected by kidney disease, with 5% — or approximately 2.5 lakh — suffering from chronic kidney disease, according to experts at an international conference. Around 4-5% of children seen as outpatients in hospitals nationwide present with kidney issues. 

These insights were shared at the "Second International IPNA-supported Peritoneal Dialysis in Pediatric AKI and CKD (PDKIDS 2024)" conference held on Sunday (October 27) at the Krishibid Institute, Dhaka. The event, organized by Dr MR Khan Children's Hospital and the Institute of Child Health, gathered over 200 doctors and nurses.

Prof Khadija Rahman, Academic Director at MR Khan Children's Hospital and Child Health Institute, inaugurated the conference. 

Speakers emphasised the lack of accurate data on kidney disease prevalence due to inadequate monitoring. 

It is estimated that there may be around 20 million people with kidney issues, including 5 million children. Major causes of kidney disease in children include congenital conditions, acute kidney injury post-diarrhoea, and inflammatory nephritis. Children are also 29% more likely than adults to develop kidney failure from diarrhoea.

Conference organiser and course director, Prof Ajmeri Sultana, said, "Our main goal is to reduce the child mortality rate due to kidney disease. This training will enhance the proficiency of doctors and nurses in peritoneal dialysis, thus lowering the child mortality rate."

The conference included 10 sessions, each moderated by Dr Sharmin Afroz and Dr Sheikh Farzana Sonia, with three expert doctors leading each session. 

International specialists from India, Singapore, the United States, Thailand, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka participated, providing hands-on training and Q&A opportunities.

Special guests included conference adviser Prof Mohammad Hanif, course chairperson Prof Mohammad Shahidullah, and Academic Council Chair Prof Nazmun Nahar from MR Khan Children's Hospital and Institute of Child Health.

Lifetime honours were awarded to Prof RN Srivastava from India, Prof Yap Hui Kim from Singapore, Prof Mohammad Hanif, Prof Mohammad Shahidullah, and Prof Nazmun Nahar from Bangladesh.