Hospital Based

Occupational heat exposure among migrant workers attending kidney dialysis centers in Nepal

Duration June 15, 2023, to September 30, 2023

In collaboration with: La Is La Network, USA and National Kidney Center, Banasthali.

Kidney Patient Mr. Prem Tamang at Teaching Hospital for treatment.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is one of the top ten leading causes of death in Nepal. The precise measures of existing and new annual cases of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in Nepal are still to be determined due to the absence of a renal registry in the nation. By March 2021, around 4,000 patients were receiving hemodialysis in Nepal. One article provided descriptive data on these patients and reported that the cause could not be identified in approximately half of the study participants; the sample size was 138 patients. Other descriptive study found that ESRD was the most common presenting scenario upon admission of kidney disease patients in a teaching hospital in Nepal.

In Nepal, no studies have ever documented the patient profile focusing on heat exposure, with detailed occupational history, among dialysis patients. Therefore, the importance of this study is to understand the prevalence of heat exposure in this population and define other possible risk factors not documented previously. The general objective of the study is:
To find out the factors associated with chronic kidney diseases among patients attending kidney dialysis center in Nepal.

Specific Objective :

To find out the status of heat exposure, hydration, and working history among ESRD patients.

2) To assess the prevalence of independent risk factors of ESRD among migrant workers attending dialysis center.

3) To find out the prevalence of exposure to dust, chemical aerosols, or pesticides among migrant workers attending dialysis centers in Nepal.