From Sani Gazas Chinade, Damaturu
Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State has taken the fight against kidney disease to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
In a meeting with renowned epidemiologists, Buni said that the state has lost many people living on the banks of the River Yobe to kidney failure, and many more are now patients of the disease.
“The figure of people dying and others as patients is very worrisome and that calls for quick action to save the communities,” Buni said. “I am equally worried that a large number of the productive population are getting more affected.”
Buni called for a quick and active intervention to save the people, assuring that his administration is prepared for every partnership and collaboration that would provide a solution to this menace.
He said that some data have been generated by the Yobe State Teaching Hospital to facilitate and fast-track research and diagnosis for advanced study into the cause of the disease.
“I am optimistic that you would partner with us to find solution to the disease to save our people and others in the neighbouring states also lined up along the banks of the river,” Buni said.
Prof. Neil Peace, the internationally celebrated Professor of Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene, said that the data generated would be used to establish the causative agents which would push for finding a solution.
“We have conducted studies in Malawi and Kenya in Africa, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka and India, we will work with you too to establish the cause of the disease,” Prof. Neil assured.
He said that though research on such diseases is very expensive, the collaboration would look for international funding to assist the research.
Prof. Ben Caplin, a Professor of Nephrology at the University College London, who specializes in population-based clinical and laboratory studies, said that it is important to establish the causes of the disease.
He commended Governor Buni for his interest in finding a solution to this problem facing the communities.
“The only solution to this problem is to find out the possible causes and mitigate the causes as a solution to the disease to save this population and indeed the future generation,” Prof. Ben said.