KIDNEY diseases are quietly but steadily emerging as one of the most pressing public health challenges in Western Visayas, as reported by this paper recently. According to the 2024 Field Health Services Information System (FHSIS) Morbidity Report, the region recorded 510 general cases of kidney disease, a concerning trend that cuts across all adult age groups.
The data also includes 27 cases of chronic kidney disease, 26 cases of kidney stones (or kidney calculus), 16 cases of acute renal failure, and smaller but no less important numbers such as six cases of cystic kidney disease, five cases of unspecified kidney and ureter disorders, and two cases of congenital single renal cysts. These figures, while they may seem modest individually, collectively underscore a creeping health crisis that demands urgent attention.
The kidneys perform vital, life-sustaining functions — filtering waste from the blood, regulating blood pressure, and producing essential hormones. When these organs fail, the results are life-threatening. But unlike diseases that exhibit dramatic early symptoms, kidney diseases often progress silently. By the time signs emerge, damage is usually extensive or irreversible.
Equally alarming is the link between these kidney conditions and preventable risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity — all of which are becoming increasingly prevalent in the region. These are conditions that can and should be controlled through proper nutrition, physical activity, and routine medical screening.
The Department of Health Region 6, through its Integrated Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Program, has rightly sounded the alarm. DOH-6 Medical Officer Dr. Aimee Marie Gayomali is urging adults to undergo annual kidney function tests, especially those at high risk, and to adopt healthier lifestyles as a primary line of defense. Prevention is far more effective — and far less costly — than treatment.
Yet this call must be matched with action. Local governments and health units must do more than echo the DOH’s advice. They must embed kidney health into public health priorities, expand access to affordable screening programs, and promote preventive education in every barangay. Rural health units and community health workers must be empowered to bring this advocacy to households before the first symptoms appear.
Moreover, it is time to revive the stalled kidney transplant program in Iloilo City—an essential service that was shelved during the COVID-19 pandemic. With World Kidney Day having just passed on March 13, and National Kidney Month coming up in June 2025, now is the moment to roll out sustained public campaigns on organ donation and transplantation awareness—not just during commemorative events but consistently throughout the year.
This is a silent crisis, but one that is gaining momentum with every unmonitored blood pressure, every unchecked case of diabetes, and every lifestyle choice that undermines our kidney health. If we continue to treat kidney disease as a peripheral concern, we will soon find ourselves overwhelmed — not just by the cost of treatment, but by the human toll of lives diminished and lost.
