World Kidney Day is commemorated globally on the second Thursday of March each year. The theme for this year is “Kidney Health for All: Caring for People, Protecting the Planet”.
This theme focuses on bridging the gap between human health and environmental sustainability. It emphasizes early detection, prevention of chronic kidney disease (CKD), and adopting eco-friendly, sustainable kidney care models to reduce the environmental impact of dialysis and treatment. Globally, CKD is estimated to affect approximately 850 million people.
If left undetected and not treated timely, CKD can progress to kidney failure, leading to severe complications and premature mortality. CKD is a growing health priority in Ghana, with an estimated prevalence of 13.3%. Awareness remains low, with approximately 6% in the general population and 10% among highrisk groups.
This underscores the need for routine screening in primary care to enable earlier diagnosis and reduce longterm healthcare costs.
Healthy Heart Africa (HHA), an AstraZeneca health equity programme delivered in partnership with MOH and PATH is commemorating World Kidney Day today 12th March 2026 to advocate for awareness creation, early screening and detection of chronic kidney disease which will help contribute to the reduction of the burden of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and other non-communicable diseases in Ghana.
Ghana is the first among nine countries to launch and implement the expanded scope of Healthy Heart Africa. This effort, in partnership with governments and non-governmental organizations, is designed to support the early prevention, detection and management of cardiorenal diseases throughout Africa.
Prioritizing high-risk populations to receive routine CKD screening through health checks in primary care, enabling early diagnosis and reducing long-term healthcare costs cannot be over-emphasized.
The Healthy Heart Africa program is a response to this call to action; collaborating with experts from the Ghana Kidney Association, Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service to strengthen health systems and help address Chronic Kidney Disease and its major risk factors including hypertension and Type 2 Diabetes.
The program is tackling kidney disease through quality service delivery, integration, advocacy, awareness creation, adoption of healthy lifestyles, andgenerating demand for care.
The program in the year 2025screened cumulatively over 28,000 patients with Hypertension and Type 2 Diabetes for Chronic Kidney Disease in Greater Accra and Ashanti Region.
Today, AstraZeneca’s Healthy Heart Africa, PATH, Ghana Health Service and the Ghana Kidney Association commemorated the World Kidney Day in Accra and Kumasi with a series of activities including screening outreach programsand public lectures on kidney health with emphasis on prevention and early detection of kidney disease.
The recognition of kidney diseases as a global priority by the World Health Organization at the 78th World Health Assembly marks a pivotal moment providing a strong foundation for national and international advocacy and serves as an urgent call to prioritize kidney health as a pillar for a healthier, equitable, and more sustainable future.
