The Yobe State Government and the Biomedical Research and Training Centre (BioRTC), Damaturu, will soon embark on a community-based research project to tackle the increasing cases of kidney disease in the state.

The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Mai Mala Buni on Media and Public Engagement, Ibrahim Baba-Saleh, made this known in a statement to journalists in Damaturu on Tuesday.

Mr Baba-Saleh explained that the study, led by researchers from diverse backgrounds in the centre, was intended to tackle the prevalence of the disease in the state, particularly in communities around Yobe River.

The governor said, “The research brings together a diverse team of experts, including nephrologists, cardiologists, and environmental specialists, to investigate the genetic, environmental, and lifestyle associations of kidney disease. The project has garnered support from international partners in the UK, USA, and Ghana as well as numerous collaborators from within Nigeria. ’’ the governor’s aide said.

He recalled that the governor had, earlier in an interaction with the centre’s visiting scholars, urged them to deepen the research on the causes of the disease in Gashua, which is worse-hit, to enable the government to find a lasting solution to it.

He further stated that the Commissioner of Health, Dr Muhammad Gana, who was at a virtual meeting with the team on Monday, said that the global cooperation of the research underscored its significance, and potential for positive outcome.

Mr Baba-Saleh added that BioRTC Director, Dr Mahmood Bukar, who was also at the meeting, announced that field work would commence in Gashua in the first week of February.

He further explained that Bukar, who is also the Special Adviser to Buni on Science, Technology and Innovation, argued that the team would collect samples to gain valuable insights into the causes of kidney disease in the area.

“According to previous studies, kidney disease in Yobe is linked to various factors, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and environmental factors, such as limited access to clean water and sanitation,” Mr Baba-Saleh quoted the director as having said.

(NAN)