Tulfo warns vs chronic kidney disease cases

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Raffy Tulfo has raised the alarm over the rising number of Filipinos suffering from chronic kidney disease.

“There should be early-detection programs, essential diagnostic procedures such as the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio test and warning labels on food products with high sugar and sodium content,” Tulfo said on Wednesday.

Around 13 million Filipinos are currently suffering from different stages of the disease, he said.

While the disease had affected mostly seniors, around 57.44 percent of chronic kidney disease patients are now between 20 and 59 years old, Tulfo said, citing Philippine Society of Nephrology data.

Diabetic patients can spend up to P120,000 to manage their condition in stages 3 to 5 of the disease, Tulfo said.

Costs for non-diabetic patients can reach up to P116,000.