Sierra Leone has made a significant step toward improving care for people suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD) after Health Minister Dr Austin Demby received 15 new dialysis machines, including reverse osmosis (RO) water purification systems, at the 34 Military Hospital in Freetown. His Excellency Baisnab Charan Pradhan, the Indian High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, presented the life-saving equipment, which will help to strengthen the country’s limited renal care capacity.
CKD remains a major public health challenge in Sierra Leone, with prevalence rates exceeding 30% among hypertensive people, particularly in rural areas.
Uncontrolled diabetes, sepsis, and high blood pressure are among the leading causes of the condition. When left untreated or poorly managed, CKD can progress to late-stage kidney failure, increasing the risk of premature death. Due to a scarcity of local services, many families have faced financial hardship and emotional strain when seeking dialysis treatment.
According to officials, the donated machines could not have arrived at a more critical time. The Ministry of Health intends to use the new equipment to supplement existing services, such as the recently refurbished dialysis treatment centre at Connaught Hospital. Minister Demby referred to the units as “hope machines,” which will improve advanced diagnostic and treatment capabilities while reducing the burden on patients and caregivers.
To maximise impact, the Health Minister has pledged to evenly distribute the dialysis machines and associated RO systems across strategic health facilities, with a focus on improving access for patients in rural areas, who have historically faced the greatest barriers to care. The deployment strategy seeks to create a more equitable distribution of renal services, lower out-of-pocket costs for families, and improve outcomes for those with CKD in Sierra Leone.
