World Kidney Day: Indigenous health in the spotlight
They may be just small organs in your body, but when you’re kidneys aren’t functioning properly, particularly with chronic disease, life on dialysis sounds like a dark fate. It’s World Kidney Day, and Australians are being urged to improve their health after it was revealed this morning the annual cost of treating kidney disease is rising by $50 million a year. Kidney Health Australia also say another five aussies start dialysis treatment or have transplants each day. Indigenous Australians are some of the biggest sufferers of the disease. Dr Paul Lawton is a Royal Darwin Hospital kidney specialist and Director of Renal Services for the Northern Territory. He also works with many Aboriginal patients and says the top half of Australia is suffering the most. He says the latest figures are not surprising and that the biggest problem is education, some families are not aware of how to take care of themselves.