MANILA, Philippines - One Filipino every hour dies from kidney failure today, according to the Department of Health (DOH). More than 7,000 cases of kidney failure in the country are recorded every year.

This puts kidney disease in the list of the top 10 leading causes of death among Filipinos.

According to Dr. Benjamin Balmores Jr., president of the Philippine Society of Nephrology, the continued rise in the number of Filipinos with kidney disease is alarming.

Last year, 11,700 Filipinos were recorded to have suffered from kidney disease. Some 8,708 Filipinos, on the other hand, underwent dialysis. Kidney transplant cases numbered 511.

Perlita Abila is one of those Filipinos diagnosed to have chronic kidney disease. For four years now, she has been undergoing dialysis weekly to help lengthen her life.

Abila has stage 5 chronic kidney disease which started from a urinary tract infection left untreated. This resulted into complications when she had hypertension when she became pregnant. And since she preferred to eat fatty foods and did not have enough water intake, her kidneys were affected.

"Wala akong pinipiling pagkain noon. Kahit ano kinakain ko. Chicharon inuulam ko sa kanin. Sana noon naging mahilig ako sa tubig, hindi softdrinks at energy drink. Kasi tubig ang nakakaalis ng toxin sa katawan," said Abila.

Most kidney disease result from diabetes. Credit: ABS-CBN News

The main causes of kidney disease, said Balmores, are: diabetes (42%), hypertension (25%), and inflammation of kidneys (20%).

Balmores added that more than half of those with kidney disease got it as a complication of diabetes and hypertension, diseases which not only run in families but are also a result of an unhealthy lifestyle. The main culprits are a diet rich in fats and cholesterol, and a sedentary lifestyle.

Kidney donors needed

Health experts have embarked on a campaign to promote kidney donation from deceased individuals or those patients who have been declared brain dead or have become victims of trauma, such as an accident.

According to the new Administrative Order of the DOH, kidney donations may be done between relatives or those with social ties, such as friendship, as long as the family gives consent and the donor is not "selling" the kidney.

Kidneys may also be harvested from those who are declared brain dead or deceased.

Balmores said one of the reasons why it is hard to get kidney donations from brain dead persons is the prevailing culture among Filipinos where it is taboo to touch the internal organs of the dead or the brain-dead.

According to Dr. Vanessa de Villa, chairman of the Technical Working Group of the DOH looking into kidney donations, it is possible to harvest more kidneys from deceased donors because 5 trauma deaths are recorded in different hospitals every day. Kidneys from such individuals could be used for transplants.

In 2008, a ban was imposed on the sale of kidneys to foreigners. This brought down the number of kidney donors. In 2009, the DOH allowed kidney donations among relatives and between those who have emotional and social ties.

Siblings Myrna Ortiz and Marilou Subala support the campaign to encourage Filipinos to consider donating their kidneys. It has been 14 years since Ortiz had kidney disease due to hypertension. Because she did not want to have a kidney transplant, Ortiz underwent dialysis for 3 months. But when the cost of dialysis became prohibitive (reaching almost P30,000 every month), she agreed to a kidney transplant. Subala voluntarily donated her kidney to Ortiz, for which the latter is grateful as this has helped lengthen her life.

Subala said she did not think twice about giving her kidney to her sister in her wish to see Ortiz get well. She did not think of the possible side effects as a result of the kidney donation. Such a sacrifice is something she does not regret because this will help lengthen the life of her sister. --Report from Sheryll Mundo, ABS-CBN News