Local ISN R&P program boosts kidney screenings in Nepal

From a local project in Dharan city, the B.P Koirala Institute of Health Sciences’ prevention program now focuses on regional prevention and is developing more kidney research projects in Eastern Nepal –  encouraging  centers across the country  to screen populations.
 
“These efforts really show how a simple ISN-supported prevention program has paved the way for a nephrology unit and, in the near future, a small clinical research center in the low-resource setting of Nepal,  thanks to the enthusiasm and perseverance of ISN Fellow Sanjib Kumar Sharma,” explains Norberto Perico, from the Mario Negri Institute in Italy, who recently visited one of several outpatient nephrology clinics established through this program.

The B.P Koirala Institute of Health Sciences now wants to move towards developing more clinical research projects in collaboration with the Mario Negri Institute, given the large population of diabetic patients they have detected through the screening program.

Through the  ISN GO R&P Program, Sanjib Kumar Sharma started this project in 2005. So far, more than 30,000 people have been screened for risk factors linked to Chronic Kidney Disease and cardiovascular disease. The initiative has also helped patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, proteinuria or chronic renal dysfunction manage their condition.

Small steps towards fighting CKD in Egypt

A community-based program, the Egypt Information, Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Kidney Diseases (EGIPT-CKD) project puts energy into screening, preventing, raising awareness and increasing research into CKD and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Importantly, it reveals the success and value of the ISN GO Research and Prevention (R&P) Program. It shows how limited expertise and resources have established an outpatient detection and prevention facility for CKD and other associated NCDs. The project has improved the awareness and understanding of NCDs in Damanhur city and across Egyptian society.

“The data from our pilot study showed that screening for CKD is simple and inexpensive. It helps identify people at risk of the disease and motivates them to follow up on getting treatment from the right healthcare providers,” explains Zaghloul Gouda who leads the project and helped develop  software to help detect and recommend strategies to prevent NCDs.

The Sheffield Kidney Institute lent its support regarding data analysis, statistics, critical appraisal, manuscript writing and improving nursing staff education and training. The EGIPT-CKD Project has now been ethically approved and registered by the Egyptian Ministry of Health. It hopes to expand its scope to cover 5000 diabetic and hypertensive participants.