Chronic Kidney Disease in India: The Disease You Don’t Feel Coming

Seventeen percent of Indians screened in one major study had chronic kidney disease. Fewer than one in ten of them knew it.

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General Science · GenSci0036

17.2%

CKD prevalence found in the SEEK study, 5,588 people screened

Only 7.9% of those with CKD already knew it

6%

Had CKD stage 3 or worse

229/mn

India’s ESRD incidence rate

751

Districts covered by PMNDP, 2025

2016

PMNDP launched, free BPL dialysis

Hypertension (among CKD patients)64.5%

Anemia (among CKD patients)40.7%

Diabetes (among CKD patients)31.6%

The disease you don’t feel coming

Nearly 1 in 5 Indians screened had CKD — but over 9 in 10 of them had no idea. Early kidney damage rarely causes symptoms, which is exactly why screening matters.

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Must Know

• Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a long-term, progressive loss of kidney function. It’s often silent in its early stages, with no clear symptoms.
• The SEEK study (Screening and Early Evaluation of Kidney Disease) screened 5,588 people across India. It found an overall CKD prevalence of 17.2%.
• Around 6% of everyone screened had CKD stage 3 or worse. That means real, meaningful kidney function loss, not just an early warning sign.
• Only 7.9% of the people found to have CKD in the study already knew they had it. Awareness is dangerously low.
• The biggest risk factors are hypertension, diabetes, and anemia. Among people who had CKD in the study, 64.5% also had hypertension. 40.7% had anemia, and 31.6% had diabetes.

Good to Know

• India’s age-adjusted incidence rate for End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), CKD’s final stage, is estimated at 229 per million population. Over 100,000 new patients enter renal-replacement programmes, dialysis or transplant, every year.
• The government’s main response is the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP), launched in 2016.
• It gives free dialysis to Below Poverty Line (BPL) patients, at government district hospitals. This runs under the National Health Mission.
• As of 2025, PMNDP covers all States and Union Territories, running in 751 districts across the country.
• Parliament’s own Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare has examined CKD as a dedicated subject. It produced its own report on the disease’s prevention, diagnosis, and management.

Test Yourself

Please wait…

1. The SEEK study screened 5,588 people across India. What overall prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease did it find?

27.2%

1.7%

17.2%

7.2%

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Great to Know

• CKD’s top risk factors overlap heavily with India’s other major non-communicable diseases. See GenSci0032 — Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in India: Cancer, Diabetes, Obesity.
• CKD’s “silent” nature is exactly why early screening matters. A person can lose most of their kidney function with no clear symptoms, until very late stages.

Current Affairs

• 6 August 2026: The Rajya Sabha’s Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare considered and adopted its 177th Report. The Committee is chaired by Ram Gopal Yadav. The report’s title: “Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease in India — Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment and Management.” (Source: PRS India)
• The Committee had examined the subject since late 2025. This included hearing evidence from the Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, in January 2026, as part of its detailed review. (Source: PRS India)