Online Reporter
Experts are exploring opportunities to revive local kidney transplant services, with specialists saying the move could make treatment more affordable, improve patients’ quality of life and reduce expenditure on overseas referrals.
The proposed programme would build on the country’s existing renal care services and expertise, while expanding treatment options for people with kidney problems.
A review by Zimbabwe Kidney Foundation Renal Services executive chairman and renal specialist adviser, Dr Obadiah Moyo, alongside a response from senior urologist Dr Daud Dube, highlights the potential benefits of establishing a sustainable local transplant programme.
Dr Moyo’s review found that kidney transplantation can be more cost-effective than long-term dialysis, while offering patients a better quality of life.
The review cites one study that puts the annual cost of a kidney transplant at US$11 426 per patient, compared with US$27 007 for peritoneal dialysis and US$37 395 for haemodialysis.
“Kidney transplantation is a cheaper solution with a higher quality of life than dialysis,” he said.
“It is a more appropriate renal treatment for introduction in Zimbabwe to save foreign currency.”
Dr Moyo said developing local transplant services could help Government make better use of healthcare resources and extend access to treatment beyond the limited number of patients able to travel abroad.
He noted that some patients receive Government support to access transplants overseas, but said a local programme could also strengthen continuity of care after surgery.
“There is currently no exit for patients on dialysis except through receiving transplants abroad at high costs,” said Dr Moyo.
“It also just benefits a few well-to-do patients and neglects the socially disadvantaged majority.”
Dr Dube said the country could build on the expertise demonstrated by local medical teams when kidney transplants were performed in the 1990s.
He said renewed investment, training and partnerships could help restore the service and make transplantation more accessible to patients.
“Dialysis is a life sentence, not a cure. The question is not technical capability; it is political and financial will,” he said.
Dr Dube estimated that an overseas referral costing between US$60 000 and US$80 000 could fund three kidney transplants locally, highlighting the potential financial benefits of developing domestic capacity.
He proposed establishing a ring-fenced budget for anti-rejection medication, training partnerships with experienced foreign transplant centres and a dedicated transplant clinic.
For families caring for patients with kidney failure, local transplantation could also offer the prospect of more accessible treatment closer to home.
Presently, Mr Tafirenyika Gwerume is seeking financial assistance to take his son, Ashton, to India for a transplant.
The boy has lived with kidney disease for four years and undergoes dialysis three times a week, with the costs covered by medical aid.
The family requires US$32 000 to cover the transplant, air tickets, accommodation and food.
“I wish it could be done locally and more cheaply so that the expenses are reduced,” he said.
Specialists say a local programme would require trained personnel, upgraded facilities, a national renal registry and partnerships between the public and private sectors, including collaboration with an experienced foreign institution.
With appropriate investment and planning, they argue, Zimbabwe could expand access to kidney transplantation, improve long-term patient care and reduce reliance on expensive overseas referrals.
