Category: Arts & Life

With this year’s World Kidney Day focusing on a growing prevalence of renal condition amongst children, Medinat Kanabe explores causes and experts’ recommendation at stemming it.

When you think kidney diseases, you basically think adults. This was the mindset of this reporter when she recently attended a programme held to commemorate this year’s World Kidney day. But to her amazement, she encountered a six-year old girl amongst the guest patients, said to have inherited polycystic kidney condition from her father, who is currently undergoing dialysis.

The programme was organised by Healing Stripes Hospital, Lagos, with the theme, Kidney Disease and children; act early to prevent it, in line with this year’s global campaign.

The little girl’s case (dad would neither have his name nor hers mentioned) is just one in a number of cases across the country that have continued to defeat logic. People have wondered what little children consume to make them susceptible to renal complications. Not too long ago, this newspaper published the story of a three-year old who urgently needed N10 million for a kidney transplant.

Anjolaoluwa Oluwole who turned 3 on February 23 could not celebrate her birthday because of her health, which required more urgent attention. Since last January, she had been undergoing dialysis twice every week at the cost of N20,000 per dialysis.

The journey to her pain started 11 months ago when her mother noticed a tiny swelling in her abdomen, precisely on March 28, 2015. Thankfully, she didn’t take any chances and laboratory tests revealed that the kidneys of the innocent child were damaged.

Since her first admission on April 1, 2015, Anjola has been practically in and out of hospital. “She is constantly on antibiotics and keeps getting blood transfusion because the ailment keeps draining her blood,” her mother, Kemi, lamented.

The constant hospitalisation has also exposed her to bacteria, virus and fungi infections, leaving her medically battered. The hitherto brilliant kid has also dropped out of school in search of medical solutions. The medical report on her case signed by Dr A.U Solarin, a Consultant Paediatric Nephrologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), stated that she was initially diagnosed of nephritic syndrome.

The report added that “Her renal function has progressively deteriorated and estimated glomerular filtration rate is less than 10%. Kidney is functioning at less than 10%.”

In simple terms, her two kidneys are gone. To stand the chance of survival, Anjola has to undergo a transplant. The options open to her parents are unattractive. She needs a donor who must be a sibling from 18-65. The second of three children has no sibling that fits that bill.

Her elder brother is 6 while the younger sister is just one year, four months. That leaves the family with the other hard alternative: Either of the parents must donate one of their kidneys. And while both parents are most willing and have no fuss about paying the price, they are hampered by the huge financial requirements.

The first has to do with a compatibility test that will cost N307, 000 per parent. Each has to undergo the test to determine who is more compatible as a donor. Thereafter Anjola too would go through the test at the same amount, totalling almost N1million, just to cross the first hurdle.

Next is the cost of transplant itself in either South Africa or India estimated at N10million. Unfortunately, Anjola’s father, Olusina, a civil engineer, has been out of job for two years, and Kemi’s little catering business can just not meet these huge expenses. This has left the family practically stranded and little Anjola at the brink, leaving them with little choice but to go public seeking financial assistance.

Right up to the youth

An older case would be that of 28 year old Mistura Martins, which was reported in one of the national dailies recently. Her problem first manifested as headache, which later became very severe.

Thereafter sore throat followed, until one morning when she woke up and realised she couldn’t carry herself for long or do her usual chores.

“Finally,” she said, “one morning I woke up and could not lift myself; I was too tired to lift my body. That was when I realised something was really wrong with me. My dad came and took me to a hospital in Surulere, where I was referred to Gbagada General Hospital and later diagnosed of kidney failure.”

Unfortunately for Mistura, by the time she was diagnosed, she already had end-stage renal disease which required constant dialysis.

While Mistura’s case may be a bit off the mark in terms of focus of this piece, it nevertheless raises questions, considering her youthfulness.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) on the rise amongst children

A survey by the Department of Paedeatrics, paediatric Nephrology Unit, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku Ozalla, Enugu conducted over a five-year period between July 2007 and June 2012 to ascertain the prevalence of CKD among children seen at the university and also determine the stage of presentation, possible etiology, treatment and outcome confirmed a rise.

Out of 3002 paediatric admissions, 98 (3.3%) had CKD, giving incidence of 3.0 new cases per million-child population per year and a prevalence of 14.9 per million children population. The report also showed that 54.1% of those with kidney issues were over 10 years of age. It also showed that Edema, oliguria and hypertension were the most frequent clinical features. The most common etiology was glomerular disease (63.6%) and 44.9% presented in CKD stage 4 and 5.

 Of the 98 that had CKD, renal replacement (RRT) was offered to 25 (25.5%), six (24%) has haemodialysis, three (12%) had acute peritoneal dialysis and 16 (64) were damaged conservatively. The result also showed that eight of the children died on admission while 15 left against medical advice bothering mainly on financial constraints.

The survey confirmed a prevalence of chronic kidney diseases in children and the myriads of challenges in its management, with late presentation and limited parental resources being most prominent.

That finding also sort of aligns with that part of this year’s theme, which says “act early to prevent it.”

Speaking to The Nation on kidney issues in children, the Managing Director of Healing Stripes Hospital, Dr. Ezinne Onyemere advised that people need to ask and check their family background to prevent this deadly disease.

With particular reference to the six-year old with polycystic condition, Onyemere said a polycystic kidney is the presence of lots of cysts developing around the kidneys, which causes damage to it later in life.

She noted that dehydration can cause acute kidney injuries, which after a long pile up can cause kidney diseases in the future, and thus encouraged children to drink lots of water to help the kidneys flush waste easily.

Onyemere also called on parents to report any symptoms and complain of any sort in their children to a paediatrician, especially abdominal pains.

Precautions to be taken

On his part, a Consultant Nephrologist, at the hospital, Dr Adebowale Adewunmi, who spoke with parents present on the occasion of that World Kidney Day commemoration said, many parents don’t know how to care for their children’s kidneys.

“When we were little, our parents didn’t know how to do certain things. Many of us are today suffering from the ignorance of our parents. Sometimes our children have skin rash and sore throat and we just feel they are nothing, but in the real sense some skin rash and sore throat can be a sign of serious problems.

Streptococcal organisms inherent in some skin infections and sour throats in children between three and 15 years can lead to kidney disease.

“During the infection, the streptococcal organism inject toxins similar to that of the kidneys, hence the anti bodies mob these similar deadly toxins into the kidneys, which in turn causes infections to the organ in the near future.

That is why mothers must not waste time in reporting any symptoms of such infections on their children to the hospital. It is unfortunate that these streptococcal infections cannot be identified until examined.

Severe malaria that affects children can lead to kidney disease; but when we have a fever; our parents will say it is malaria. If they had seen a children doctor, who checks the child well, they would be given antibiotics that will prevent the child from developing kidney problems in future.

Another thing that we should be watchful of is our male children’s urine projectile. There is a valve that everybody has; the work of the valve is to close up when the bladder is full and when the person wants to urinate it opens. In male children especially, they have a high chance of having a problem with this valve. When the problem is present, it doesn’t open very well when they want to urinate, so not all the urine is expelled and it also doesn’t close well. In situations like this, the urine goes back into the body and can cause damage to the kidney.

If a parent wants to know if their child is having this problem, they  should watch when they urinate. If they have projectile urine, they are fine but if the urine doesn’t project, there is a problem and the child should be taken to see the doctor early.

Another thing is foamy urine. Parents should watch out if their children’s urine is foamy. If a parent finds out any of these issues, the child can be taught early enough to take things easy.

Diarrhoea can also cause kidney disease. Children may eat all kinds of infected foods, which may lead to diarrhoea. If the parent does not help the child return water to their bodies quickly, the kidney will shut to make sure that the child doesn’t urinate and waste more water. This shut down may lead to kidney damage.

If a child is not drinking enough water, or eating well, the child should be taken to the hospital so that liquid can be passed through drip into his or her system.

Many parents also are fond of giving their children some chemicals that can hurt them. Some are given concoction very early the day without eating any food. The worst is that these chemicals don’t have a dosage.

Some children are born with congenital problems, some are also born with only one kidney and some are born with abnormal kidneys. What we should know is that it is not their fault or their parent’s fault. All the parents have to do is be observant, report anything the child complains to the doctor so that whatever is wrong can be detected early.

To avoid kidney problems in adult, they must stay away from too much salt and sugar. If it is possible, as soon as they clock 40 years, they should stay away from them completely.

If your father is hypertensive, you have 33 per cent chance of being hypertensive and if both parents are, there is a 67 per cent chance. If your parents are hypertensive and you are not, begin to treat yourself as if you are, so that you will not fall victim as hypertension and diabetes are the commonest causes of kidney disease.

Another cause of kidney disease in adult is cholesterol and cholesterol enters our body through the mouth. So we must watch what we eat.

Our liver and kidneys have different capacities, so do not take things because you see other people taking them. Their kidneys may be healthier than yours. Our kidneys manage to function even in bad states; that is why before our kidneys begin to show that they have problems, 50 per cent of the kidney is already gone. Dr Adewunmi submitted.

Another doctor, Dr Femi Adedugbe, a General Medical Practitioner and Managing Director Lives Fountain Medicare, Ilasa said although the polycystic kidney is not too common in this part of the world, it however occurs in a few number. It has to do with too much glucose produced from glands and they block channels. It can also affect the lungs and pancreas.

He disclosed that some cases of kidney problems in children are inherited. “There is a high chance of inheritance for quite a number of children that are known to be predisposed to it if there is someone in their family who has it.

“It is like this, if someone has diabetes and does not manage it well, he may come down with kidney failure. But if he has a child who also has diabetes and manages it well, he may never have the disease because it is the mismanagement of these chronic diseases that leads to kidney failures.

“Another thing is if you have high blood pressure and do not manage it well, it will stress the kidney and cause problems.

“I know that many children now have cases of kidney failure and it could be from drugs and local herbs that are administered by parents. Sometimes, even the orthodox medicine like the gentimycine used for a long time with high dose, can affect the kidney. It is not wrong to use it because it is a very good antibiotic but people are conscious of using it.”

According to Dr Adedugbe, “Even the doctor that will prescribe it to you, if he knows his onions, will not recommend that you use it for more than seven days.

“In some few cases, we also have children with cases of hypertension and diabetes type 1, which can cause problems in the kidney.”

He said “Kids don’t usually have urinary tract infections like adults because they are not exposed to sexual activities, except they are raped. If they are raped, they can be exposed to diseases that if not well treated can affect them later in life.”

Dr Adedugbe also stressed the need for hygiene, saying it is very important. “The pants of children should be washed regularly because if they urinate in the pants, either intentionally or otherwise and it gets dried up. The germs picked up by the pant while it was wet can create problems for the child. Although it is not too common but if the child puts on that pant for two, three or four days, there is an increased probability that the girl-child can be infected through that blood that comes out from when the child is still a virgin.”

He concluded therefore that if a parent notice that their child is urinating too often, even when they have not taken too much liquid, they should visit the hospital. If they complain of any kind of pains around the abdomen, they should visit the hospital.

“For the girl child,” he said “check their pants regularly for stains. As an addition, that can even let you know if one uncle has tampered with the child.”

For eight days, the poignant story of the Niger Delta was told and re-told by the characters in Professor Ahmed Yerima’s “Little Drops.” From the nation’s capital in Abuja to the Garden City in Port Harcourt; from the ancient Benin City to the Canaan City, Calabar, the story of the unscripted victims of the conflicts in the Niger Delta was etched in bold relief.

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, used the stage drama as a platform to reach out to the women. The drama looks at the Niger Delta from the perspective of women – the neglected innocent victims of the war of contradictions in the region. One of the characters in the play puts it succinctly: “They fight their wars, yet we and our children are left with the scars…”

Conscious of its role as a facilitator of all-round development of the Niger Delta and its people, the NDDC used this year’s International Women’s Day to put the spotlight on the plight of women and children in the region. It was an opportunity to inspire and celebrate the achievements of women in the Niger Delta region.

Although, the International Women’s Day, launched by United Nations in 1914, to reflect on progress made, pursue change and commemorate acts of courage by women globally every March 8, this year’s celebration was taken a notch higher by the NDDC. Thanks to Professor Yerima’s “Little Drops.” The message was kept alive for over one week, as men and women of diverse callings converged to watch and empathise with the story of Niger Delta women.

The NDDC also used the celebrations to offer men an opportunity to sign on to gender equity. At all the venues of the stage play, in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Benin and Calabar, huge boards were mounted for all invited guests to endorse the gender parity campaign in furtherance of the theme for this year’s Women’s Day celebration, which is: “Pledge for Parity, Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality”.

According to the United Nations, this year’s commemoration reflects on how to accelerate the 2030 agenda, building momentum for the effective implementation of the new sustainable development goals, as well as focuses on new commitments under the UN Women’s Step It Up Initiative.

 At the final command performance of “Little Drops” in Calabar, on Monday, March 14, 2016, several women of substance were in attendance. The wife of the state governor, Dr Linda Ayade was there, so was the wife of the deputy governor, Mrs. Evara Esu. The deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Obi attended, so did the Vice Chairman of Odukpani Local Government Area, Dr. (Mrs.) James Okon. Without doubt, the women of Cross River State led the way in boosting the campaign for gender parity.

 The popular Efik dance, “monikem” set the stage for the grand finale, which was also spiced with a poetry rendition by Iquo Dianaabasi, an online magazine editor based in Lagos. Iquo moved the audience to tears with Nnimmo Bassey’s poem: “I thought it was oil.”

 The haunting poignancy of that poem had a sobering effect on the audience and more or less created the right ambience for the command performance of the night.

The NDDC Acting Managing Director, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, provided the justification for inviting the crème de la crème of the society to watch the “Little Drops.” She said that the stage play “is as much entertainment and drama, as it is a campaign to bring once more, to national conscience, the anguish and travails of the women, children and people of the Niger Delta. It is part of programmes which we have lined up to raise awareness, encourage industry among the people and improve human capacity.”

 Mrs. Semenitari said the play “provides us with startling and brilliant metaphor, a most enchanting pathway through which we can begin to resolve the twin inequities of gender and development, both infrastructural and human, which the Niger Delta has suffered for far too long. Told from the perspective of four women, caught in the crossfire of the armed conflict in the region, we come face to face with the tragedy of our beloved Niger Delta.”

“The Niger Delta torment, her needs, her sores and bruised spirit, some aspects which are so brilliantly captured in this play, must continue to remain an item in the national agenda, a constant narrative in national and international discourse, demanding and requiring healing. In doing that, we must also begin to think more on helping to rebuild the lives of women and children who are unscripted victims of the conflicts in the Niger Delta.”

She said the Federal Government had indentified important stakeholders that must work together, as development partners, to move the region forward. “These partners, working with the NDDC, under the new standards of probity, due process, proper application of funds, clarity of vision and engagement, which President Muhammadu Buhari has ushered in, will help ensure greater synergy and accelerated growth.”

Semenitari decried the challenges confronting the Niger Delta region, especially the environmental, political, social and economic challenges, noting that women and children have suffered for too long, the consequences of the conflicts in the region, one that is scarcely highlighted in all intervention strategies to address regional challenges and the attendant agitation for resolution.

 As part of the response to this challenge, Semenitari said the NDDC had started the Girls in Engineering, Mathematics and Science (GEMS) programme, as well as instituted the Queen Kambasa Awards for Excellence. She explained: “GEMS aims to encourage young girls in the region to embrace science and technology, as well as to provide quality manpower that will enable them participate in the predominant oil and gas sector of the region, while the Queen Kambasa Awards recognize the first known queen of the Niger Delta. In her honour, NDDC aims to recognize and reward achievement of Niger Delta women in different spheres and, in doing so, inspire women to excel in whatever they do. It is important to create role models for our young women and girls by showing them the path to excellence.

  For Dr. Linda Ayade, the wife of the Cross River State governor, women should not allow themselves to be made to feel inferior, as that could only happen when they permit it. “It is what you permit that comes to you. Our women have been permissive for a very long time,” she said.

She charged women not to be deterred by retarding traditions that tended to hold them down. “We must resist the negative forces and forge ahead to be at par with the opposite gender. Whatever inspiration you get that will lead you to your purpose must be followed without distraction. You may fail, but failure is not a limitation. What matters is what you do to overcome your challenges,” she said.

Speaking in a similar vein, Mrs Aisha Buhari, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, urged stakeholders to strive to bridge the gender gap to make for a balance in leadership roles. She spoke at the International Conference Centre in Abuja through Mrs. Pauline Tallen, the former Deputy Governor of Plateau.

 According to her, the world is in an era when women were making impressive contributions to social, economic, cultural and political achievements. She said: “I urge you, through your imagination, influence and decisions, to create a world where the weak and vulnerable, as well as the strong and gifted will have room to excel. I also urge you to take a concrete step to help achieve gender parity more quickly, so as to create gender balanced leadership, respect and value difference.”

At the Port Harcourt event, the wife of the Rivers State government, Hon. Justice Eberechi Wike, said apart from the issues of eradicating poverty among women and gender parity, attention should also be paid to the health of women. She explained: “I thought they should have also said something about health of women. When I say health I am not talking about only the physical health of women, the mental health should also be considered. Mental health should not be ignored when we are talking about the rights of women.”

 Mrs. Wike advised women to learn to love and support each other, noting that women were very important in building a nation.

 In Benin, Special Adviser to Edo State Governor on Women Affairs, Lady Belinda Ogiefa,  urged both men and women to support the campaign for gender parity.

Lady Ogiefa, who represented the wife of the Edo State governor, Mrs. Lara Oshiomhole, said that women should be empowered in various ways to enable them realise their full potentials.

“I am a reggae artiste; in fact I do root reggae, rock, dancehall and I organize a monthly musical concert at Freedom Park here in Lagos.  I do that along with members of my band.  I started playing music about 16 years ago.  But I went professional 7 years ago.  Reggae became my forte when I finally decided to go professional.  But before then I was doing the normal general stuff of miming and doing other people’s stuff.”

A former member of a pentecostal church choir in Ondo town of Ondo State, Blazee was not too comfortable being limited to the choir alone.  “I was there for many years, devoting my time working with the church.  At a point really, I became an assistant choir master of the church.  I love music and acting and that was how the whole thing started for me.  Eventually, because I wasn’t really a religious person, it was time for me to leave.”

And he left.  From there he moved to Ibadan where he again tried to find his grove.  “The music truly influenced me.  In Ibadan, I began to do hip pop and urban contemporary with a few of my guys.  By then I had some recorded works; I’d go for shows, play in night clubs and hotels and often have one or two gigs at birthday parties.  Eventually, I started listening to Lucky Dube’s works.  Even I fell in love with his works – his model of presentation, the lyrics, the style, the messages and more.  It was at that point that I said to myself that I’d become a reggae artiste.”

After digesting the messages, the philosophy and vibes behind Dube’s works, Blazee then went to town with his own brand of reggae music.  “Lucky Dube’s legacies therefore happened to be one of my push towards reggae.  And I started just like that and today, like they say, the rest is history.  The journey has not been smooth.  I was an artiste before, but I switched from a normal artiste, to a conscious artiste, ensuring that the reggae genre of music in revived and kept alive.  Through my lyrics and my composition, I have been able to create my own impacts.”

In the process of trying to find his rhythm in reggae music, Blazee also encountered some artistes from Kingston, Jamaica who came to Nigeria on a visit.  “These two guys along with Shaka Zulu, another reggae artiste from South Africa came here and my encounter with them influenced me a lot.  I was indeed inspired by their ways of life.  Shaka Zulu, in particular taught me some rudimental aspects of music.  I studied their style the way I used to study the Bible.”

Therefore, he began to have rasta friends, those who have given themselves so deeply into the reggae genre of music.  “All along it was a big experience all through.  This is why I have chosen to promote African leaders in all spheres of life.  So far, we have done Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Mariam Makeba, Nelson Mandela, Emperor Haile Slessie, Jomo Kenyatta and now we are ready to do Malcolm X.  As you know Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little, was one of the human right activists in the U S in the 1960s asking for equality for Blacks.

A graduate of Accounting from Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State, Blazee worked briefly as a Chef in some well-known establishments before veering totally into music.  “After that stint at Rufus Giwa Poly, I went to a catering school where I also obtained a certificate in Catering and Hotel Management.  This was at the famous Eleyele catering school in Ibadan.  After my course there, I worked with British-American Tobacco Company as one of their chefs.  Later I worked with Tantalizers and other companies as their chef.  But all these years music beckoned on me.  I could not find any fulfillment anywhere also but music.”

People come to Freedom Park to listen to these vibes and then remember that reggae is an evergreen genre of music.  With the combined efforts with others, the sky is our limit.”

Through skilful line and powerful self-expression, Austin Uzor combines obsession, musings, and attention getting strokes to the details of his drawings, writes Udemma Chukwuma

TWENTY-FOUR year-old Austin Uzor may not be one of the big names in the Nigerian art scene, but has created a niche for himself with his compelling sketches, and simple, yet complicated strokes. A rare technique he discovered seven years ago. The basic medium he uses in producing the drawings are ballpoint pen on paper which he called “dynamic lines.”

What is dynamic lines? The full time studio artist, who is based in Enugu State said, “Just lines in motion. I always love interpreting everything in lines. I see movement in everything and lines alone can depict movement.” How does he achieve the line drawing? “I cross hatch, produce hatches, curved lines, scribbles and a dynamic movement of rhythmic lines in motion to establish forms. All can be seen in just one piece.”

When Uzor entered the university in 2009, hewas determined to do thing differently in order to stand out from the crowd. “This made me develop my own style in drawings as I carried out series of experiments in drawing and painting respectively. I eventually ended up specialising in painting,as I love to paint as much as I love to draw.” His efforts paid off as he bagged the best graduating student of Fine Art Department prize in 2013.

Apart from developing his unique style, the University of Nigeria, Nssuka (UNN) graduate knew he had to create a brand for himself in the highly competitive world after his graduation. Uzor began to explore line movement, and with constant practice he found the impressively delicatelinestechnique.”As soon as I was done with school, I knew I had to compete and create a brand for myself, and so I took my drawing style very seriously in a bid to take it to the next level. This drawing style could be linked to so many drawing styles all over the world that I feel it doesn’t have a specific name,” he said.

What influenced him to choose art as a career? “Growing up I had a slight influence from my dad (Paul Uzor), who was a graphic artist as I watched him work always, but never attempted to try anything out until he passed on in 1998. After his death, while going through his stuff I discovered his sketch book and fell in love with what my eyes saw. I tasked myself and realised I could draw and that was it. It is notable that during my secondary education, I was the only student who offered visual arts as a subject in my o level exams because of my love for drawing and painting.

Ibe Ananaba, who took pen drawings in the Nigerian contemporary art scene to the next level, Uzor revealed was also a big motivation. “Ananaba took drawing to a professional level in Nigeria and opened doors for people like him, who were timid and felt the use of a “cheap and common bic pen” to draw was very unprofessional.”

Was Ananaba Uzor’s lecturer or mentor?  He said no. “I only saw his works online in the year 2010, and felt inspired because I was all about the stroke drawing too. So I got more inspired reading his story, and was more focused than ever. I met him for the fist time in 2015.”

Uzor majored in painting, but he sells more of his paintings than the drawings, he said. How does he feel when drawing with lines and when painting with brushes? “I get the same feeling when drawing and painting, just that I’m the only one who sees the lines in my paintings, and you won’t see the lines, they are invisible because I made them,” said the Imo state born artist who has gained fame with his line drawing technique.

Uzor has made over 250 commissioned drawings and paintings for individuals, and organisations. “I have equally participated in a couple of exhibitions within Enugu and Anambra States respectively, one of which is the annual Life in My City Art Festival in Enugu State.” He hopes to have his first solo art exhibition in four months’time even though no gallery has accepted to exhibit his works, and no corporate organisation is coming forth to sponsor the show. “I have reached out to a couple of sponsors and I’m waiting for a reply,” he said.