Jan 12, 2009, 4:31 PM

Increase in number of dialysis patients in Iran

TEHRAN, Jan.12 (MNA) -- In a meeting with deputy chancellors of the country’s medical sciences universities, Iranian Deputy Health Minister Hassan Emami-Razavi on Sunday warned about the growth in number of patients on dialysis treatment in the country.

Expressing concern about the increased prevalence of non communicable diseases, including diabetes and hypertension, and their complications in the country, Emami said that there would be a threefold increase in the rate of dialysis patients by 2015 at the current pace.

On the high cost of medical care of patients with special diseases, he urged the need for paying more attention to chronic kidney diseases (CKD) and end-stage renal diseases (ESRD) which have become health problems worldwide.

He also said that not caring about the non communicable diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney failure, and cancer put a huge economic strain on the country’s healthcare system in the coming years.

According to Iranian Journal of Kidney Diseases, “the prevalence and incidence rates of ESRD have been increasing in Iran from 238pmp and 49.9pmp in 2000 to 357pmp and 63.8pmp in 2006. The coverage of different kinds of renal replacement therapies (RRTs) is 48.5% in hemodialysis and 3% in peritoneal dialysis (PD), and 48.5% of patients with ESRD undergo kidney transplantation.”

PD and kidney transplantation have been systematically available in the Islamic republic from 10 and 22 years ago, respectively.

SN/

MNA

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News ID 31687