ISN Sister Renal Centers Partnership in Action: Improving Kidney Care in Nigeria
Faculty and UDUTHS management team meet during one of the workshops
Emerging institution: Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria
Liaison officer: Professor Muhammad Makusidi
Supporting institution: Groote Schuur Hospital, South Africa
Liaison officer: Professor Nicola Wearne
An ISN Sister Renal Centers (SRC) Program partnership between Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) in Cape Town, South Africa, and the Usman Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto (UDUTHS) in Nigeria has yielded transformative outcomes. The collaboration has helped establish the UDUTHS as a center of excellence and learning, fostering partnerships with other regional centers and contributing significantly to advancing kidney care provision in Northwest Nigeria.
The primary focus of the collaboration between the two centers was to enhance kidney care delivery, education and research at the UDUTHS and forge collaborative partnerships with other regional healthcare centers.
Professor Makusidi with his trainees during the Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Association of Nephrology 2024
The UDUTHS and surrounding region have transitioned from having no nephrology trainees to successfully training three, with an additional six currently in training. Two of these trainees are at the GSH for three months to train in peritoneal dialysis, transplantation and continuous kidney replacement therapy.
Dr. Yusuf Adeshina completed a six-month nephrology fellowship at the GSH under the mentorship of Professor Muhammad Makusidi. His training, notably in procedures such as kidney biopsies and Tenckhoff catheter insertion, led to his appointment as a consultant nephrologist in Nigeria. Dr. Adeshina has recently been accepted into the ISN Fellowship Program.
The UDUTHS dialysis team
Through workshops, preceptorship programs, and a monthly webinar series presented by the GSH, trainees mastered interventional nephrological procedures. This has led to a notable increase in central venous catheter insertion and kidney biopsies, resulting in better management of kidney diseases, particularly glomerulonephritis, and improved patient outcomes. Nurses and dialysis technicians received training in dialysis modalities and procedures.
Kidney care professionals at the UDUTHS have passed on their recently acquired knowledge and skills to five nearby regional healthcare centers through online training sessions and visits from specialists and trainees from the UDUTHS. These exchanges have facilitated kidney disease screening in underserved areas and research projects leading to the publication of several research papers*.
Additional highlights of the partnership include:
- Hosting the Nigerian Association of Nephrology’s annual conference
- Securing funding from the Nigerian Tertiary Education Trust Fund to transform the UDUTHS Institute of Nephrology and Urology into a leading center for kidney transplantation services, with a transplant program running in collaboration with the University of Mansoura in Egypt
- Becoming an accredited training center for the West African College of Physicians and the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria
Plans are underway to initiate a pathology webinar series every two months, led by Dr. Brenden Price, a kidney histopathologist based at GSH, and to develop a comprehensive program to disseminate kidney care expertise across Northern Nigeria’s broader healthcare landscape. Additionally, the pair have identified the Specialist Hospital Sokoto and Federal Medical Center Gusau to form an SRC trio partnership with them.
Professor Makusidi commented: “As we look ahead to 2024, I aim to harness the full potential of this program, building upon the valuable insights gained thus far.”
This collaboration reflects the power of international partnerships in transforming kidney care in underserved areas.
Find out more about the ISN Sister Renal Center Program here
The Case for Increased Peritoneal Dialysis Utilization in Low- and Lower-Middle-Income Countries
Epidemiology of Peritoneal Dialysis Outcomes
