As the global community marks the 20th anniversary of World Kidney Day on March 12, 2026, Sustainable Health Education and Interventions Limited (SHEILD) Ghana has issued a clarion call for a robust national response to the rising tide of kidney disease.

With the theme “Kidney Health for All: Caring for People, Protecting the Planet", the organisation is stressing that kidney health is now as much an environmental issue as it is a medical one.

A silent crisis on the rise

Recent systematic reviews have underscored the severity of the situation in Ghana, indicating that approximately one in five patients in the country is affected by some form of acute kidney injury or chronic kidney disease.

Experts warn that because the disease often remains asymptomatic until advanced stages, thousands of Ghanaians are unaware they are at risk until their kidney function is severely impaired.

SHEILD Ghana highlighted that while conditions like hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and untreated infections remain the primary drivers, environmental factors such as air pollution, heat stress, and dehydration are increasingly shaping the disease’s progression.

SHEILD’s mission: Bridging the care gap

Recognising the limited availability of specialised care, SHEILD Ghana has been instrumental in expanding renal services outside of the capital. The organisation has successfully established two specialised dialysis centres:

• Police Hospital Dialysis Centre (Accra)
• Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital Dialysis Centre (Mampong)

The latter, which performed its maiden dialysis treatment in January 2026, marks a historic shift in decentralising care for residents of the Eastern Region who previously faced gruelling, expensive travel to access life-saving services.

SHEILD Board Directors with Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, at the unveiling of the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital Dialysis Centre.

“Access to quality healthcare should not depend on location or income,” stated Board Director of SHEILD Dr Sylvia J. Anie, CSci, FRSM, FRSC.

The organisation remains committed to its long-term strategy of expanding these facilities nationwide, despite the high operational costs associated with renal replacement therapy.

A call for national commitment

In alignment with the global theme, SHEILD is urging government agencies, private partners, and the public to adopt a multi-faceted approach to kidney health:

• Prevention & Screening: Prioritising regular health screenings for at-risk populations.
• Lifestyle Shifts: Reducing salt intake, avoiding the misuse of painkillers and herbal medications, and maintaining healthy blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
• Policy & Infrastructure: Investing in sustainable, "green" kidney care and strengthening primary healthcare systems to detect the disease earlier.

As Ghana looks toward the future, the message from SHEILD Ghana is clear: preventing kidney disease is the most cost-effective and sustainable way to protect both the individual and the nation’s healthcare system.