Parl Committee recommends mandatory kidney tests every six months for aged 20 years & above
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A parliamentary committee has recommended mandatory kidney function tests every six months for everyone aged 20 years and above, along with annual screening of all high-risk individuals, as part of a policy shift from treating advanced kidney failure to preventing and slowing disease progression.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare has recommended that the biannual kidney function test (KFT) be provided free of cost to people below the poverty line and at a nominal cost to those above the poverty line under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD).
For high-risk individuals, the screening should include assessment of kidney function using estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin/protein testing, along with appropriate referral and follow-up, the panel said.
In its 177th report on “Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease in India – Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment and Management”, the committee headed by Rajya Sabha member Ram Gopal Yadav made 66 recommendations covering prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The report was presented in Rajya Sabha and laid on the table of Lok Sabha on August 7.
The committee said the existing approach to CKD screening was largely opportunistic and depended on individuals visiting Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and other health facilities, which did not ensure periodic screening of all high-risk people.
“The committee, therefore, recommends that the ministry institutionalise regular annual CKD screening of all high-risk individuals and mandatory biannual kidney function test (KFT) of all persons aged 20 years and above, free of cost for persons Below Poverty Line (BPL) and on nominal cost for Above Poverty Line (APL) persons under the NP-NCD to enable early diagnosis and delay disease progression,” the report said.
The panel said the principal high-risk groups requiring periodic screening included people with diabetes and hypertension, which together account for the majority of CKD cases in the country. Other priority groups include adults above 60 years, people with a family history of kidney disease, obesity or tobacco use, and those with a history of acute kidney injury, recurrent urinary tract infections, recurrent kidney stones or prolonged exposure to nephrotoxic medicines, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
It also called for targeted screening of agricultural and occupational populations in regions affected by chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu), particularly parts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka, where heat stress, recurrent dehydration and agrochemical exposure may contribute to kidney damage. The committee cited a pooled CKD prevalence of about 13.24 per cent in India and noted that the disease often remains asymptomatic during its early stages, resulting in diagnosis only after significant and sometimes irreversible loss of kidney function.
