{
  "id": 16644676,
  "title": "Can point-of-care testing improve early detection of chronic kidney disease in Africa?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/can-point-of-care-testing-improve-early-detection-of-chronic-kidney",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-26T18:34:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/can-point-of-care-testing-improve-early-detection-of-chronic-kidney-disease-in-africa/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Point-of-care testing (POCT) could play a significant role in improving early detection of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Africa, where early detection remains a challenge due to limited access to diagnostic services and routine screening. CKD affects roughly 13.7% of adults across 19 African countries, but accessing diagnostics and undergoing routine screening can be cost-prohibitive and challenging 1-3. POCT offers a solution by enabling diagnostic testing close to the patient, reducing delays associated with specimen transportation and result reporting, and supporting more timely clinical decisions 5-6. Two key areas of assessment for kidney health are blood creatinine, used to estimate kidney filtration function, and urine albumin, which helps identify kidney damage 8-10. POCT can support CKD screening by measuring creatinine and urine albumin in community and primary healthcare settings where access to conventional laboratory services is limited 8-10. However, the accuracy of POCT varies across technologies, and it is crucial to evaluate devices based on appropriate laboratory algorithms and guidelines such as the WHO's REASSURED criteria, considering analytical performance, clinical sensitivity and specificity, and potential consequences of false-positive and false-negative results 12-14. Other considerations for implementing POCT in Africa include ensuring affordability, equitable access, and integrating testing into a functioning pathway for screening, confirmation, referral, and treatment 15.",
  "summary": "Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing public health concern in Africa, where early detection remains challenging due to persistent gaps in access to diagnostic services and routine screening. A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis estimated that CKD (stages 1-5) affects approximately 13.7% of adults across 19 African countries 1. Limited access to diagnostic services, the cost of…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}