Challenges faced in Africa for dialysis treatment

Africa faces unique challenges for treatment of dialysis. These are many and factor on base cost of consumables, supply of equipment, costs of equipment, spare parts, energy costs, adequate numbers of trained staff. These are few of the major factors which have an effect on the challenges faced in Africa.

Many countries are landlocked and therefore face an additional overland transport cost to their final destination making the base cost even higher. In some of those countries where additional duty payments elevate the cost even higher than the actual overheads of getting the goods into the country.

If any continent faces huge burdens its in Africa where the impact is felt the greatest.

These obstacles which elevate the costs of treatment before the costs of administering the treatment are added, just goes to demonstrate the huge hurdles are placed, where large corporations who have the facility to offer more reasonable rates of their products, put profits before people.

They know that the increasing prevalence of dialysis in the continent will offset those who cannot afford treatment and not survive. There approach is that more patients are diagnosed and need HD treatment than those who don’t survive. So the numbers are steadily rising. Do they feel any concerns? I doubt as the major decision makers are no where near the continent and only feel they are responsible to shareholders of the company ad not the patients and users of the products made by the company.

The other approach is that until they get away with the attitude they can do what they like, and with all major companies taking the same approach they are not worried of real competition to change the mindset.
Where will governments and hospitals go to? When all are taking a similar approach?

So where does that leave Africa?

Sadly there are no major quick fixes and only a small handful of independent companies are seeking to make changes to effect some change in the cost of treatment being burdened by patients and their families.

Seek to partner with those suppliers who have a care and heart to deliver quality solutions and offerings to reduce the cost of dialysis and can find ways to keep running costs down for centres using innovative solutions to cost burdened problems.