World Kidney Day 2025 in Gabon: a national mobilisation to strengthen the prevention and screening of kidney disease

For World Kidney Day 2025, the Gabonese Society of Nephrology (SOGANEPH) once again mobilised health professionals, public authorities, institutional partners and volunteers around a shared goal: raising public awareness of the importance of preventing kidney disease and promoting early screening.

Organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and with the support of many partners, the activities combined scientific conferences, screening campaigns, community actions and awareness initiatives, demonstrating once again Gabon’s commitment to kidney health.

A successful screening campaign

The screening sites set up in Nzeng-Ayong, Akanda and Owendo, among others, welcomed a large number of citizens who came for free screening and prevention advice.

The campaign’s success rests on the strong mobilisation of medical teams made up of interns, medical students, nurses, nephrologists and psychologists, who worked together to inform, screen and refer people with risk factors.

This edition was also marked by the active participation of the association of people with kidney failure. Several haemodialysis patients agreed to share their experience with the public to raise awareness of the importance of early diagnosis and prevention.

The “I stop to drink water” challenge

One of the main innovations of this edition was the launch of the “I stop to drink water” challenge, a digital campaign promoting hydration as a simple preventive habit.

Participants were invited to add the official World Kidney Day frame to their photo and post it on social media to spread the prevention message widely.

The initiative was a great success and brought together many citizens, health professionals and public figures, including the Minister of Health and the management of Libreville University Hospital (CHUL), who also took up the challenge to encourage the public to adopt better habits.

Local authorities alongside the population

Institutional support was also shown by the visit of Major General Arnaud Sandri Nombo, Mayor of Owendo, to the screening site on 13 March 2025.

His presence demonstrated local authorities’ support for SOGANEPH’s prevention work and underlined that early screening is one of the most effective ways of fighting kidney disease.

A scientific day to improve care

Alongside the activities for the general public, a major scientific meeting was held on 12 March 2025, bringing together doctors, specialists and health professionals to discuss current nephrology issues in Gabon.

The opening ceremony was chaired by Dr Élise Eyang Obame, Secretary General of the Ministry of Health, who stressed the importance of strengthening collaboration between the various players in order to improve the quality of patient care.

The scientific presentations covered several major topics, including:

• acute kidney injury in hospitals and emergency departments;
• the epidemiological profile of patients on chronic haemodialysis;
• carriage of multidrug-resistant bacteria in dialysis patients;
• the state of dialysis in Gabon and prospects for improving care.

These discussions made it possible to share field experience, identify good practices and propose solutions to strengthen the quality of nephrology care in the country.

Kidney failure: a major public health challenge

The data presented during this edition highlight the scale of the challenge.

According to Ministry of Health figures, 580 patients currently receive regular haemodialysis sessions in Gabon’s specialised centres.

To meet this growing demand, the country has considerably expanded its care provision, going from four dialysis centres five years ago to eleven today, including three outside Libreville.

This progress is an important step towards better access to specialised care. However, it also highlights the human, financial and logistical challenges of managing chronic kidney disease.

Prevention remains the best strategy

Beyond developing infrastructure, prevention remains the most effective way of reducing the incidence of kidney failure.

SOGANEPH continues its commitment through regular awareness campaigns, screening programmes and educational activities that inform the public about risk factors and protective behaviours.

The recommendations remain simple but essential:

• drink enough water every day;
• eat a balanced diet;
• exercise regularly;
• monitor your blood pressure and diabetes;
• avoid self-medication and overuse of medicines;
• see a health professional regularly for early screening.

A collective effort to protect the kidneys of the Gabonese people

The 2025 edition of World Kidney Day showed once again that fighting kidney disease requires everyone’s involvement: public authorities, health professionals, patient associations, local communities, partners and citizens.

Through screening campaigns, scientific exchanges, local actions and communication initiatives such as the “I stop to drink water” challenge, SOGANEPH continues to build a culture of prevention and to raise awareness among Gabonese people of the importance of preserving their kidney health.

Together, let’s keep making prevention a habit. A simple screening can save lives. Let’s take care of our kidneys to build a healthier future.