Davao City proposes early screening to fight rising pediatric kidney disease

Davao City is taking steps to combat a worrying rise in chronic kidney disease (CKD) among children. Councilor Jessica M. Bonguyan has proposed a Pediatric Kidney Disease Screening and Early Detection Program to tackle the issue. The move comes as cases in the region continue to climb by 12 to 15 percent each year, placing a heavy burden on families and healthcare services.

The proposal was put forward during a recent council session, where Bonguyan urged lawmakers to prioritise the measure. She called for it to be reviewed as a first reading and sent to the Committee on Health for further study. If approved, the program would focus on early detection, aiming to prevent CKD from progressing to severe stages where dialysis or transplants become necessary.

Davao City already has one of the highest rates of kidney disease in the Philippines, with around 2,400 patients currently undergoing treatment for CKD and kidney failure. Dr. Rachel Pableo Esquivel, a nephrologist with the Mindanao Chapter of the Philippine Society of Nephrology, has warned that many patients only seek help once symptoms become severe. She highlighted that children from low-income families are particularly vulnerable, as limited access to healthcare delays diagnosis and treatment. Early warning signs of CKD include frequent nighttime urination, foamy urine, fatigue, swelling in the hands and feet, puffy eyes, and persistent high blood pressure. Without intervention, the disease can advance to end-stage renal failure, forcing patients into lifelong dialysis or the need for a kidney transplant. The World Health Organization has also raised alarms, predicting a 33 percent increase in global CKD-related deaths and a 28 percent rise in disability-adjusted life years if early action is not taken. Bonguyan’s proposal seeks to address these challenges by creating a system that catches the disease in its early phases. The goal is to reduce long-term health complications and ease the strain on families and the healthcare system.

The program’s success could lead to new legislation that strengthens early intervention efforts across Davao City. By targeting screening and awareness, officials hope to lower CKD rates and improve outcomes for affected children. The next step will be a detailed review by the Committee on Health to assess feasibility and funding.