Volume 65 December 2026-January 2026 : Social

Remember the bright little warrior that was Boipelo Malete? The lively 12-year-old won the hearts of Batswana with her fighting spirit which afforded her a smile in the face of aruthless kidney failure that was engulfing her little body. The people were so moved by her ordeal that they raised money to fund her surgery after she bravely appeared on Btv`s Sedibeng with her mother sometime in 2005 to share the story of her life.

Although enough funds were raised for her, she lost the battle during the surgery in China, breaking the many hearts that her story had touched. Even in death, Boipelo became the little national heroine whose vigour and fighting spirit would always be engraved in many a hearts.

While there may be no statistics on the rate and prevalence of kidney failure in Botswana, trends indicate that the condition is on the rise globally.

“For every 1 million people, 200 suffer from a kidney disease,” says Dr Gagoitsewe Saleshando, a consultant physician with Gaborone Medical Centre. According to Dr Saleshando, about 20 per cent of the adult population in developing countries have what is termed mild or moderate kidney disease. Kidney failure falls under the category of Non-Communicable

Diseases, which implies that it is one of those notoriously silent diseases. One will not know that they have it until such a time when the kidneys have seriously been damaged, mostly beyond repair. As such, early diagnosis is key, according to experts.

When diagnosed early, causes of the disease can be addressed to stop them from causing further damage to the kidneys. For instance those that have high blood pressure can start by regulating it.

“The reason why kidney diseases are silent is because kidneys have a lot of capacity and because they come in pairs, it takes a while before symptoms start showing, by which time it might be late,” Dr Saleshando told Kutlwano recently.

Causes of kidney failure are linked to one`s general lifestyle. High blood pressure, diabetes and HIV and AIDS are some of the leading risk factors associated with kidney failure. The build-up of toxins due to certain medications both traditional and conventional, such as painkillers containing Aspirin may also lead to kidney failure.

Taking over the counter drugs for prolonged periods at high doses may result in the body producing excess toxins which may damage the kidneys. Dr Saleshando says although the exact contents of traditional medicine are not known, it has been established that some of them cause injury to the kidneys.

Weight is also an underlying culprit as being obese increases one`s chances of developing high blood pressure and other cardio vascular diseases, which too plays a very big part in kidney failure. High salt intake aggravates high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for kidney failure. That is why people that have kidney failure are put on a low-salt diet.

Vomiting, which is due to toxin built up may occur, reduction in urine passage and swelling of the legs due to water retention are also symptoms of dysfunctional kidneys, shares Dr Saleshando. Running short of breath, tiredness and fatigue, feeling generally unwell are also signs of weakened kidneys.

At a more advanced stage, kidney failure may present itself as a state of confusion and in some cases, loss of other disease, it is better to be safe than sorry. Dr Saleshando advices those that have risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure and are HIV positive must undergo regular check-ups at least once a year. Those that do not have any of the risk factors must also go for annual check-ups to ensure that they do not ave any of such risk factors. Age too play a role in kidney failure.

The older you are the more likely your kidneys are likely to fail. This is why, Dr Saleshando says, more adults are prone to developing kidney failure than younger people. Treatment for kidney failure according to Dr Saleshando is available and depends on the severity of the disease.

Dialysis is one option for removing toxins from the blood, either through haemo-dialysis or peritoneal dialysis. Haemo-dialysis is where blood is used to get rid of toxins from the body and it has to be done three times a week for at least half a day sessions.

Peritoneal dialysis is a daily routine of ridding the body of toxins by using water. Although it sounds time-consuming as one has to undergo four treatment cycles per day, Dr Saleshando says Peritoneal dialysis is hassle-free as it is a do-ityourself process that is performed in the comfort of the patient`s home without having to go to the hospital.

When it is too late for any of these to be considered as treatment, there is always the controversial option of a kidney transplant. This, Dr Saleshando says, can either be harvested from a live donor or from a   In Botswana the law does not permit harvesting of organs; neither does it permit transplant surgery. Dr Saleshando says that Batswana are not too keen about the idea of organ donation.

“It is still a very strange idea to them to donate organs, let alone kidneys.” The fear is the very idea of undergoing surgery and the complications that may occur.

That notwithstanding, there has been calls by the public for an organ bank to be established in Botswana. On average, the life of transplanted kidney lasts for 10 to15 years, meaning that the beneficiary may need another transplant.

On average a kidney transplant costs somewhere between P400 000 to half a million pula. However, according to Dr Saleshando, there are some exceptions with some having lived as long as 40 years after a transplant.

Dr Saleshando advises that people should live healthy lifestyles to prevent kidney failure; exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, taking the correct amount of fats and meats, maintaining a good weight are some of the points to consider for the safe keeping of one`s kidney.

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