PATH urges routine screening as kidney disease silently rises in Ghana

Kumasi, April 22,  – Health experts have urged Ghanaians, especially those at risk, to undergo regular medical screening to enable early detection and prevention of chronic kidney disease (CKD), which continues to rise quietly across the country.

A statement issued by PATH Ghana and signed by Dr Robert Yeboah, Senior Technical Advisor for Non-Communicable Diseases, warned that CKD remains a major but under-recognised public health challenge, with national prevalence estimated at 13.3 per cent and low public awareness contributing to late diagnosis.

The statement noted that the disease often develops without obvious symptoms and is frequently identified only at advanced stages, when treatment becomes more difficult and costly, and the risk of kidney failure increases.

It stressed that routine screening, particularly at the primary healthcare level, is essential for people living with hypertension and Type 2 diabetes, who face higher risk of kidney complications.

PATH Ghana highlighted ongoing interventions under the Healthy Heart Africa (HHA) programme, implemented in collaboration with AstraZeneca, the Ministry of Health, and the Ghana Health Service, aimed at strengthening prevention and early detection of cardiovascular and kidney diseases.

Ghana, according to the statement, is the first of nine African countries to adopt the expanded phase of the programme, which integrates kidney disease screening into broader non-communicable disease management.

Working alongside the Ghana Kidney Association, the initiative is also focused on improving service delivery, promoting healthier lifestyles, and increasing public demand for early screening and treatment.

The release further indicated that in 2025 alone, more than 28,000 patients with hypertension and Type 2 diabetes were screened for CKD in the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions under the programme.

PATH Ghana called for stronger integration of kidney health services into primary care systems, expanded public education, and sustained collaboration among stakeholders to improve early diagnosis and reduce preventable deaths linked to CKD.

GHBUSS

22 April 2026