A Professor of Medicine and Nephrology at the University of Ghana, Prof. Vincent Boima, has raised concern over the growing burden of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in the country, disclosing that more than five million Ghanaians may be living with the condition.
He further revealed that people of Akan origin faced a significantly higher genetic risk of developing the disease.
According to him, Akans record the highest prevalence of high-risk variants of the APOL1 gene, with 37.2 per cent carrying two risk variants.
This compares with 19 per cent among people of Ga origin and 17 per cent among those from the Volta Region.
Prof. Boima explained that while the gene originally evolved to protect Africans from sleeping sickness, it now posed a health risk by increasing susceptibility to kidney disease.
He made these observations during his inaugural lecture at the University of Ghana, Legon, in Accra on Thursday.
The lecture was on the theme: “From Genes to Mind: Holistic Pathways to Precision Kidney Care for Africa.”
He noted that about 13.3 per cent of Ghana’s population was affected by kidney disease, with most patients falling within the productive age group of 20 to 50 years.
“Individuals with two of these variants have about a 25 per cent higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease and an 84 per cent increased risk of severe kidney inflammation,” he said.
Prof. Boima contrasted this with high-income countries, where most patients are above 60 years, stressing that the younger age profile in Ghana had serious implications for productivity and national development.
He called for targeted screening, particularly among high-risk ethnic groups, and urged the adoption of precision medicine to improve diagnosis and treatment outcomes.
The professor further noted that across sub-Saharan Africa, about 16 per cent of the population nearly 200 million people may be living with kidney disease, describing it as one of the region’s most pressing but under-recognised health challenges.
He identified hypertension, diabetes, infections such as HIV and hepatitis, environmental toxins, and the misuse of painkillers as major drivers of the condition.
Prof. Boima added that environmental exposures could interact with genetic factors to further increase the risk of developing the disease.
BY ENOCH NTIAMOAH SIAW
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