Bermuda needs to tackle child obesity if it wants to curb a surge in demand for dialysis, experts have said.

A spokesman for the Bermuda Diabetes Association explained there were about 250 people who had end-stage kidney disease, with the majority on dialysis.

The spokeswoman said: “The rate of ESKD in Bermuda is between three and four times higher than in the United Kingdom and appears to be rising.

“A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine has highlighted the substantial burden of kidney disease occurring in young people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, almost 55 per cent developing kidney disease.

“It is a frightening statistic given the increasing burden of type 2 diabetes and obesity in the youth of Bermuda.”

The spokeswoman added that prevention of childhood weight gain could reduce the risk of diabetes later in life, which would cut treatment costs and reduce the incidence of kidney disease.

She added that, because of the threat that Covid-19 posed to patients with diabetes, the charity would offer clients the Covid-19 vaccinations from Ministry of Health staff at its Princess Street headquarters.

Kim Wilson, the Minister of Health, earlier said that the number of people on dialysis in Bermuda was increasing by 10 to 15 per cent a year.

Ms Wilson added that the higher dialysis costs were one of the reasons behind the $45 increase in government healthcare premiums announced this month.