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History was made on the 7^th of August 2009 at Saint Nicholas Hospital Lagos when a team of our surgeons with the help of surgeons from Transplants links UK performed the first ever paediatric kidney transplantation in the sub region. This surgery was carried out with the support of Nathan Kidney foundation a nongovernmental organization that is committed to alleviating the plight of kidney patients and raising public awareness of the disease. This is one of the many land mark achievements that Saint Nicholas Hospital has made. It will be recalled that in September 2008 Saint Nicholas hospital Lagos became the first hospital in sub Saharan Africa to carry out laparoscopic kidney donor nephrectomy. The first ever kidney transplant in Nigeria also took place in March 2000 at Saint Nicholas hospital.

Our transplant team comprising  surgeons Dr Ayo Shonibare , Dr Ademola, nephrologist,Dr Ebun Bamgboye  and transplant links UK team including surgeon Mr Andrew Ready and nephrologists Dr Simon Ball and Dr Dwomoa Adu carried out the transplants successfully on Francis Kale(17) and  Joseph Iniovosa(13).Both patients are doing well. Joseph’s brother donated for him while Francis Dad donated to save his son. The Parents are happy and cannot wait to see their children return back to a better life.

  Christian’s parents had already lost two other sons to kidney failure and his father Andrew was so relieved to be able to save his only remaining son by donating one of his kidneys.  Joseph’s parents had run out of money after all the costs of dialysis and the cost of his transplant was supported by a local charitable organisation. Joseph’s father sums up the value of living donor transplantation when he said, “I lost my heart when Joseph was so ill.  I spent all I could but I ran out of money and I felt that life was leaving us all.  It is wonderful that Joseph’s brother has been able to donate a kidney and this transplant is a true blessing.”

Chronic kidney disease is approaching epidemic proportions in Nigeria.It is a gradual, progressive and often irreversible decline in kidney fuction.Common causes in our environment include Hypertension Diabetes mellitus and chronic glomerulonephritis. In children, congenital abnormalities and chronic glomerulonephritis (often a complication of chronic infections) are the commonest causes.

Other preventable causes include misuse and abuse of Analgesics (e.g Paracetamol), bleaching creams that contain Mercury and toxic Nephropathy from the use of Native herbs. It is estimated that about 10% of the population of the world have some degree of kidney failure or the other. Africans and people of African origin are four times more likely to develop kidney failure than Caucasians. In Nigeria certain sentinel studies suggest a prevalence of 18% of the population and that some ethnic groups may be more prone than others! Chronic Kidney Disease in Nigeria occurs generally at a younger age (43 years mean) than in the developed world and occurs at least 2-3 times more commonly in Men than Women.