DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Bangladesh has introduced a national treatment protocol for chronic kidney disease in primary healthcare facilities, a move authorities say is aimed at improving early detection and management of a condition that is becoming an increasingly serious public health challenge.
The new protocol was developed by the government’s Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and disseminated on World Kidney Day 2026, according to a government statement.
The framework was prepared by the DGHS’s Non-Communicable Disease Control (NCDC) unit in collaboration with the Dhaka-based International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, an international public health research institution.
Health researchers say chronic kidney disease (CKD) is rising steadily in Bangladesh but often remains undetected until its later stages. A systematic review and meta-analysis examining the prevalence of kidney disease in the country estimated that nearly one in four people may be affected — a figure higher than the global average.
Medical experts say the condition progresses silently in many cases, leaving patients unaware until severe damage has already occurred. Each year, an estimated 35,000 to 40,000 people in Bangladesh develop kidney failure, placing growing pressure on the country’s limited dialysis and transplant facilities.
People living with diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease or a family history of kidney disorders face significantly higher risks. Environmental factors such as water salinity, heat exposure and declining water quality are also increasingly being examined as potential contributors, particularly in Bangladesh’s climate-vulnerable coastal regions.
Under the new protocol, screening and management of kidney disease will be integrated into Bangladesh’s extensive primary healthcare system. Community health workers stationed at thousands of government-run community clinics will conduct early screening for kidney disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, while suspected cases will be referred for further evaluation.
Doctors at Upazila Health Complexes — government hospitals serving sub-district populations — will follow standardized guidelines for diagnosis, risk assessment and treatment of kidney disease and related conditions.
Officials say the protocol will gradually be rolled out across primary healthcare facilities nationwide, accompanied by training programs for medical staff and monitoring systems to track its implementation.
Public health specialists say strengthening early detection at community level could significantly reduce the number of patients progressing to advanced kidney failure, easing pressure on Bangladesh’s specialized treatment facilities and lowering healthcare costs.