Greece rolls out mass kidney disease screening via SMS alerts

Greece rolls out mass kidney disease screening via SMS alerts

Robert Howard
Robert Howard
1 Min.
A poster with text stating "More than 90% of people who have kidney disease don't know they have it" and a logo at the bottom, aiming to raise awareness about kidney disease.

Greece rolls out mass kidney disease screening via SMS alerts

Greece's Health Ministry has launched a large-scale kidney disease prevention campaign. Over 1.5 million citizens received SMS alerts urging them to undergo kidney function tests. The move targets those with diabetes, high blood pressure, or other risk factors linked to kidney problems.

The initiative is part of a broader prevention effort. So far, more than 5.2 million people have been screened through ministry programs. These checks have uncovered over 178,000 cases needing further attention.

Tests include measuring eGFR via serum creatinine and an additional exam for early kidney damage. Referrals have already been sent to 1.59 million individuals, with another 250,000 added after recent cardiovascular screenings.

Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis stressed the importance of early diagnosis and urged recipients not to ignore the messages. Deputy Health Minister Eirini Agapidaki explained that the program focuses on early action to prevent future kidney complications.

The campaign continues to expand, with SMS alerts reaching high-risk groups. Officials have not released figures on how many have completed the kidney tests so far. The ministry's goal remains early detection and intervention to reduce long-term health risks.

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