Renal Diseases

The amount of R$ 1.3 bi from Brazilian’s Health budget was spent on treatment of renal diseases (hemodyalisis and renal transplantation), which corresponds to 8% of the budget of the Health Ministry in 2004. Studies realized by the Brazilian Association of Dialysis and Transplantation Centers anticipate that in 2010 there will be 125.000 in hemodyalisis, which is double of what there is currently. It means that the Governmental expenses with hemodyalisis will increase significantly in a short space time.

On the other side, the population of diabetics is growing all over the world. In Brazil they are nearly 10% of the population and 25% of them are in hemodyalisis. It is most likely that with the increase of the life expectation and the increase of the obesity, the population of diabetics and patients in hemodyalisis will double. The U.S.A. and others developed countries are a model of this tendency.

About 80% of adults with type II diabetes are obese and according to the last IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistic) research, 40% of the population overweighed. Hence, it is clear that the obesity is deeply related to diabetes and the last one linked to renal diseases. In the final stage of renal diseases the patient needs dialysis and transplantation. Theses diseases are chronic, incapacitate and their treatment has a high cost to the public coffers.

The Pro-Kidney Foundation believes that through the education of our population we will minimize the social-economical impact created from the increased number of renal illness (especially of patients in dialysis). This project aims to help to educate the students and their families to recognize renal diseases in its early stages. By recognizing other diseases that cause renal failure as obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure the renal illness will be minimized and the costs for the government will be reduced. Furthermore, we will have detailed epidemiologic data from the research that the students will make at home.