By Samira Larbie, GNA
Accra, Nov. 14, GNA – The Ghana Health Service (GHS), in partnership with pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, has launched a new initiative to strengthen the prevention, early detection and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and other related conditions in Ghana.
The Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic (CRM) Patient Africa Programme seeks to address critical gaps in the management of kidney disease, diabetes and hypertension, particularly in underserved communities across sub-Saharan Africa.
The programme, launched in Accra, will initially be implemented in Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda, with a focus on improving patient outcomes through early diagnosis, healthcare worker training, research and access to appropriate medicines.
Dr James Kinniburgh, Director of Health at Boehringer Ingelheim, said the initiative was designed to prevent and slow the progression of chronic kidney disease by addressing challenges across the healthcare delivery system.
He said the programme had four key components: generating real-world evidence on patients’ needs, supporting screening and diagnosis, strengthening the capacity of healthcare professionals through training, and improving access to appropriate medicines.
Dr Kinniburgh said IQVIA would serve as an implementation partner, with data gathered from the programme helping to guide interventions and improve continuity of care.
He, however, emphasized that early screening and diagnosis would have limited impact if patients could not afford the treatment they needed.
He said the company would take concerns about treatment affordability to its headquarters in Germany and explore ways of making its medicines more affordable for patients and healthcare systems.
The launch, held under the theme: “Advancing Sustainable Healthcare in Ghana through Innovation, Partnership and Impact,” also featured the presentation of findings from the Ghana Real World Evidence Study on CKD.
Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, Director of Public Health at the GHS, said kidney disease had consequences beyond the health of affected individuals, often placing significant financial and social burdens on families.
He explained that families frequently exhausted their savings on medical consultations, medicines and transportation, while patients who depended on daily earnings, including traders, farmers and office workers, lost income whenever they visited health facilities.
“For a trader, farmer or a director who depends on earnings, attending hospital can mean losing income but also paying for care,” he said.
Dr Asiedu-Bekoe observed that many patients reported to health facilities only when their conditions had advanced, making early detection and timely intervention critical.
He urged healthcare providers to routinely assess the kidney health of patients receiving treatment for hypertension and diabetes, given the strong link between the conditions and kidney disease.
He said the Government’s Free Primary Healthcare initiative offered an important opportunity to strengthen prevention and early detection by bringing essential health services closer to communities.
He also called for stronger coordination among community health services, primary healthcare centres and referral hospitals to ensure patients received timely and continuous care.
Dr Asiedu-Bekoe said the Ghana Medical Trust Fund could provide support to patients facing financial difficulties, while stronger collaboration with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) could help expand access to treatment.
He identified improved referral systems, reliable communication between health facilities, reduced delays in referrals and feedback to referring teams as key areas requiring attention.
“It should also provide the tools, diagnostics and information health workers need to do their work,” he said.
He stressed that affordability and equity must remain central to the partnership, noting that the cost of healthcare extended beyond hospital bills to include transportation and income lost while seeking treatment.
He urged stakeholders to ensure that the benefits of the programme reached underserved communities and were not concentrated in major urban centres.
Dr Wallace Odiko Ollennu, Programme Manager for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) at the GHS, said hypertension and diabetes remained leading causes of kidney disease in Ghana.
He noted that many patients were diagnosed only after complications had developed, making treatment more difficult and highlighting the need for routine kidney health assessments, particularly at the primary healthcare level.
Dr Ollennu welcomed the partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim, saying it would strengthen the capacity of healthcare workers to identify, diagnose and manage kidney disease.
He said improved patient support, access to diagnostic services and sustainable funding were essential to building an effective and responsive kidney healthcare system.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Samira Larbie
[email protected]