Kuala lumpur: AstraZeneca Malaysia and the Malaysian Society of Nephrology (MSN) have signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance disease awareness and healthcare professional education, focusing on the timely recognition, referral, and coordinated care for atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (aHUS).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, MSN president Dr Rosnawati Yahya emphasized the urgency of recognizing and treating aHUS, a medical emergency that primarily affects the kidneys. Delayed recognition could lead to irreversible kidney damage, kidney failure, and the necessity for dialysis. Dr Rosnawati highlighted the difficulty in diagnosing aHUS due to its diverse presentations across various healthcare settings, including emergency departments, medical wards, and obstetric wards.
The collaboration aims to enhance healthcare professional education, encourage timely referrals, and improve multidisciplinary care for aHUS patients. Dr Rosnawati, with over 30 years of experience as a nephrologist, noted the collaboration's potential to support frontline healthcare professionals in early recognition and referral for specialist care.
Though considered rare, aHUS awareness is crucial due to its severe consequences if unrecognized. Globally, one to two new cases per million people are reported annually, with two to nine individuals per million living with the condition. Dr Rosnawati stressed the importance of recognizing warning signs early to prevent severe organ damage or the need for intensive treatment.
Under the MoU, AstraZeneca Malaysia and MSN will explore initiatives focused on healthcare professional education, disease awareness, timely identification, appropriate referral, and multidisciplinary care coordination. AstraZeneca Malaysia Country President Dr Svetlana Yanchuk highlighted the significant burden rare diseases like aHUS place on patients, families, and healthcare systems, often receiving limited attention due to low prevalence.
The collaboration aims to promote practical, evidence-based initiatives to improve aHUS awareness and understanding. Kidney-related complications, including end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring dialysis, pose broader healthcare-system challenges, with public-sector expenditure on ESRD growing by 94% from RM572 million in 2010 to RM1.12 billion in 2016. Dialysis-associated costs are projected to rise from RM1.5 billion to RM4 billion by 2040.
For those affected by aHUS, early identification, appropriate referral, and prompt clinical assessment are crucial for effective disease management, potentially preserving kidney function and reducing the risk of progression to ESRD. This reduction could also lessen the broader personal, social, and economic impact, particularly for children and working-age individuals.
Professor of Medicine and Senior Consultant Nephrologist Professor Dr Lim Soo Kun remarked on the complexity of aHUS, which affects not only the kidneys but also the blood, necessitating multidisciplinary management involving nephrologists and haematologists. He emphasized the need for frontline doctors to recognize the condition, as patients may present with varying symptoms across different healthcare settings.
Mohd Nizrul, whose wife and daughter were diagnosed with aHUS, underscored the importance of increased awareness, given the unfamiliarity many patients and families have with the disease. aHUS is a rare, serious condition caused by complement system dysregulation, leading to thrombotic microangiopathy and potential damage to the kidneys and other organs.
The collaboration was announced ahead of aHUS Awareness Day on September 24 to emphasize the importance of timely recognition, specialist assessment, and coordinated care.