Biannual Kidney Tests Recommended for Everyone Aged 20 and Above

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare has recommended mandatory kidney function tests (KFTs) every six months for everyone aged 20 years and above, as part of a proposed prevention-focused approach to chronic kidney disease (CKD) under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD). The panel has also recommended annual CKD screening for all high-risk individuals.

Inside the 177th Parliamentary Committee Report on CKD

In its 177th report on “Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease in India – Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment and Management,” presented in the Rajya Sabha and laid in the Lok Sabha on August 7, 2026, the committee made 66 recommendations covering CKD prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and management.

How Biannual KFTs Will Be Made Accessible

The panel recommended that biannual KFTs be provided free of cost to Below Poverty Line (BPL) individuals and at a nominal cost to Above Poverty Line (APL) individuals under the NP-NCD. For high-risk groups, screening should include estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin/protein testing, followed by appropriate referral and follow-up.

Who Is at High Risk for Chronic Kidney Disease?

The committee cited a pooled CKD prevalence of approximately 13.24% in India, while highlighting that the disease can remain asymptomatic during its early stages. High-risk groups identified include:

• People with diabetes and hypertension
• Adults above 60 years of age
• People with a family history of kidney disease
• Individuals with obesity or tobacco use
• Those with previous acute kidney injury
• People with recurrent urinary infections or kidney stones

Why Every Creatinine Test Should Include an eGFR Report

The report also recommended that every serum creatinine test conducted in public and private laboratories should automatically include an eGFR report, preferably calculated using the CKD-EPI equation, without requiring a separate test request or additional cost. The panel said serum creatinine alone may not detect early kidney damage and urged greater use of urine albumin assessment for high-risk individuals.  Learn about Chronic Kidney Disease Symptoms & Prevention

India’s Growing Kidney Disease Burden

The urgency of early detection comes amid a growing kidney disease burden. The committee noted that nearly 2.2 lakh new patients with end-stage kidney disease are added in India every year, creating demand for approximately 3.4 crore additional dialysis sessions annually. Haemodialysis sessions under the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme have also increased from around 25 lakh to 70 lakh in five years.

Shifting India’s CKD Response Toward Prevention

The recommendations aim to shift India’s CKD response from predominantly dialysis and transplantation towards prevention, routine screening, early diagnosis and slowing disease progression, while strengthening kidney-care services at primary and district healthcare levels.