The Ghana Kidney Association is holding a public symposium to celebrate its 50 years of Dialysis in the country.

The forum will be held on Thursday, December 1, 2022, at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons auditorium, from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm.

The celebration is under the theme “Fifty years of Dialysis in Ghana, the past, present and the future.”

In an invitation letter signed by the President of the Ghana Kidney Association, Prof Sampson Antwi, he stated that the public symposium is expected to address “the challenges in kidney replacement therapy (dialysis and kidney transplant) in the country and the way forward.”

This is due to the very sharp increase in the incidence of chronic kidney disease worldwide with 10 percent of the adult population being affected.

“Millions of people die from complications related to chronic kidney disease yearly. In Ghana, unfortunately, the economically active age group are the most affected, that is 20 - 50 years and chronic kidney disease accounts for 10 percent of all medical deaths in our main teaching hospitals.

"The most common underlying causes are hypertension and diabetes, two disease conditions whose prevalence over the past decade has exponentially increased in Ghana. Children are also affected though at a lower prevalence", the letter said.

The guest of honour for the programme is Vice President Dr Mahammadu Bawumia.