Original Article https://doi.org/10.70084/mru/pmrcc/00043.P23

Demographic characteristics of patients with end-stage renal disease in Somalia

Mutaz Abbashar Mahdi Osman^1,2, Ahmed Hassan Nur Hassan^3,4, Entisar Nageeb Mohamed Salih Ali⁵, Abdirahman Ali Araye⁶, Walid Salih Osman Idris⁷, Ramy Shakir Abdalseed Awad⁸; Samar Bayuomi Adam Bereamah⁹, AymanMohamed ALfadil Mohamed¹⁰, Elshiekh Babiker Adam Khidir¹¹, Mohmmed AbdALrhman ALgubarh Abdallh¹², Ebtihal Yousif ALhag¹³, and Hussain Gadelkarim Ahmed^14,15

Affiliations

¹Department of cardiology, Somali Sudanese Specialized Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia. https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1803-382X. ²Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Jamhuriya University of Science and Technology (JUST), Mogadishu, Somalia.

³Somali National University, Faculty of Medicine, Mogadishu, Somalia. ⁴Banadir Dialysis Center, Mogadishu, Somalia. https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0206-0000. ⁵Department of Histopathology and Cytology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of Kordofan, El-Obeid, Sudan. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1792-5176. ⁶Department of Internal Medicine, Somali Sudanese Specialized Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia. https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5661-080X. ⁷Department of Internal Medicine. International Medical Center Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8766-360X. ⁸Department of Otolaryngology, Elixir Medical Center, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. https://orcid.org/0009-0000-6211-3906. ⁹West Kordufan University, Medical Laboratory Sciences College, En Nuhud, Sudan. https://orcid.org/0009-0005-7501-7848. ¹⁰Alrayam Medical Center, Khasab, Oman. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2802-9935. ¹¹Quality Sciences Est., Makkah, Saudi Arabia. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5956-9849. ¹²Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, West Kordofan University, En Nuhud, Sudan. https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2622-6204.

Wdalgobarawdalgobara@gmail.com. ¹³Makkah Eye Complex, El-Obeid, Sudan. https ://orcid.org/0009-0008-0386-6818. ¹⁴ Prof Medical Research Consultancy Center, El-Obeid, NK, Sudan. ¹⁵Department of Histopathology and Cytology, FMLS, University of Khartoum, Sudan.

Correspondence to: Mutaz Abbashar Mahdi Osman, Email: heldisugi@gmail.com

Cite: Osman, et al. Demographic characteristics of patients with end-stage renal disease in Somalia. Medical Research Updates Journal 2026;4(3):42-51. https://doi.org/10.70084/mru/pmrcc/00043.P23

ABSTRACT

Background: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is an increasing public health challenge in low-resource settings, where late diagnosis and limited access to kidney replacement therapy worsen outcomes. Data on ESRD patients in Somalia remain scarce. This study aimed to describe the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of ESRD patients attending Banadir Dialysis Center in Mogadishu, Somalia. Methodology: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted at Banadir Dialysis Center, Mogadishu. Medical records of patients diagnosed with ESRD and receiving dialysis care were reviewed. Data on age, sex, body mass index, marital status, education, occupation, residence, and income were extracted. Descriptive statistics were used, with continuous variables summarized as means and categorical variables as frequencies and percentages. Results: A total of 111 ESRD patients were included, aged 20–90 years, with a mean age of 51 years. Males comprised 74 patients (66.7%) and females 37 (33.3%), giving a male-to-female ratio of 2.0:1.0. The largest age group was 36–49 years (27, 24.3%), followed by 50–59 years (25, 22.5%). Most patients had normal BMI (61, 55.0%), while 29 (26.1%) were underweight. The majority were married (83, 74.8%). Illiteracy was common (44, 39.6%), and 31 patients (27.9%) had only basic school education. Occupational data were available for 110 patients; 101 (91.8%) were unemployed. Most patients lived in urban areas (80, 72.1%) and had low income (96, 86.5%). Conclusion: ESRD patients at Banadir Dialysis Center were predominantly male, relatively young, urban, unemployed, and socioeconomically disadvantaged. These findings highlight the need for kidney disease surveillance, early detection, patient education, and equitable renal care expansion in Somalia.

Keywords: End-stage renal disease; chronic kidney disease; hemodialysis; dialysis; demographic characteristics; socioeconomic status; Somalia; Mogadishu; Banadir Dialysis Center.