Nanto Med - Blog #Kidney guidelinesNanto Med - Blog #Kidney guidelineshttps://med.nanto.com/blogs/tag/kidney-guidelinesThu, 08 Oct 2026 12:21:18 -0700http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[KRACON 2026: what it means for Kenyan dialysis units]]>https://med.nanto.com/blogs/post/kracon-2026-takeaways-kenya-dialysis-units

The short answer: KRACON 2026, the Kenya Renal Association's annual scientific conference, ran from 23 to 26 September in Mombasa under the theme "Kidney Health: Beyond Nephrology". Its biggest moment was the launch of Kenya's first national kidney guidelines. For dialysis units, the practical themes were treatment adequacy, access, data and the cost of water and energy.

Nanto Med attended KRACON 2026, and through our Conference Fellowship we sponsored two renal nurses to attend. This post shares what we took away for the people who keep dialysis units running: unit managers, renal nurses and biomedical engineers. It draws on the published programme and the guidelines themselves. It is our reading as a dialysis parts supplier, not clinical advice.

What was KRACON 2026 about?

KRACON 2026 was held at the Pride Inn Convention Centre in Shanzu, Mombasa. The programme described the theme, "Kidney Health: Beyond Nephrology", as a deliberate provocation: nephrologists alone will not secure the future of kidney health. The five sub-themes were:

  • Vision 2030 in kidney disease: are we there yet?
  • Improving access to kidney health services
  • Obtaining and utilising data for kidney health
  • Precision nephrology: every individual matters
  • The interconnected kidney: the kidney in a community of organs

The programme ran from workshops on renal pathology, peritoneal dialysis and haemodialysis to sessions on referral, fistula-first practice, peritoneal dialysis policy, green nephrology and transplant. The full KRACON 2026 programme is published by the Kenya Renal Association.

What did the new national kidney guidelines change?

The headline event was the launch, at the opening ceremony on 23 September, of The National Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Kidney Conditions, First Edition 2026. They were developed by the Ministry of Health with the Kenya Renal Association, and the programme billed the launch as the association's first ever guideline launch.

For dialysis units, the most important section is 10.5 on maintenance haemodialysis. The guidelines describe haemodialysis as typically three sessions a week of about 4 to 5 hours, set adequacy targets of a mid-week Kt/V of at least 1.2 or a URR of at least 65% per session and state that twice-weekly schedules are generally insufficient unless there is significant residual kidney function. They also recommend synthetic polymer hollow-fibre dialyzers and set a monthly, 3-monthly and 6-monthly laboratory monitoring schedule.

We have written a separate plain-language summary: Kenya's first national kidney guidelines: what to know.

Why does the number of sessions matter for units?

Because the guidelines now put a clear standard on paper. Three sessions a week is described as typical, and twice-weekly schedules as generally insufficient for most patients. How many sessions are funded is a separate question, set by the Social Health Authority's tariffs (Legal Notice 56 of 2025, as amended). Check the current renal care access rule with SHA or your unit's claims team before planning around a number.

For units, two practical points follow:

  • Measure what you deliver. The guidelines ask dialysis teams to monitor delivered dose routinely. Kt/V and URR records are the evidence base for any conversation about adequacy, with payers or with patients.
  • Do not let machines erode the dose. A machine running with drifting dialysate flow or frequent alarms takes minutes away from treatment, and every session counts.

Patients should discuss their own schedule with their nephrologist. Nothing here suggests changing a prescription.

What did KRACON say about water and energy costs?

The programme included a green nephrology track on the environment and kidney disease, with a session on optimising energy consumption and water saving in haemodialysis. Utilities are a real part of what a dialysis session costs, and water treatment is also a safety issue: an unmaintained water treatment plant is a patient safety risk as well as a cost.

For engineers, the overlap with machine maintenance is direct. On machines such as the Fresenius 4008, the hydraulic circuit's heater, degassing system and balancing chamber all depend on correct inlet pressure and clean filters. A preventive maintenance cycle that checks those pressures protects both the patient and the running costs. Our Fresenius 4008 preventive maintenance guide sets out the manufacturer's checks.

What about peritoneal dialysis and access outside the big towns?

Access was a full sub-theme. The programme included sessions on home dialysis and mobile dialysis, a peritoneal dialysis policy discussion titled "Peritoneal dialysis: are we there yet? PD 1st policy" and a session on when to refer to a nephrologist. The new guidelines also include a section on maintenance peritoneal dialysis (10.6). Wider use of PD depends on reliable supplies and trained staff as well as on policy.

For the dialysis supply chain, the message is that kidney care is moving outwards to counties and closer to patients. Equipment in those settings is further from engineers and parts, which makes planned maintenance and a small local stock of critical spares more important, not less.

What should a dialysis unit do next?

Five things we would put on a unit manager's list after KRACON 2026:

  • Get the guidelines in front of your team. Read section 10.5 together and compare your current schedules, monitoring and dialyzer choices against it.
  • Audit your delivered dose. If you are not recording Kt/V or URR routinely, start.
  • Put every machine on a maintenance calendar. Know each machine's technical safety check interval and order the TSC and maintenance kit before it is due.
  • Stock the parts that stop a machine. For a Fresenius fleet, a spare complete gear pump and a few common valves on the shelf mean a failed part does not have to wait for an import. Our parts sourcing handbook covers how to plan this.
  • Invest in your nurses. Much of KRACON was about skills: fistula care, PD, referral and data. Sending nurses to conferences is one of the most direct ways to build them, which is why we run our Conference Fellowship.

Nanto Med specialises in parts for the Fresenius 4008, 5008 and 6008. If your unit runs these machines and you are planning spares for the year, get in touch.

Frequently asked questions

What is KRACON?

KRACON is the annual scientific conference of the Kenya Renal Association, bringing together nephrologists, renal nurses, researchers, industry and policymakers.

When and where was KRACON 2026?

From 23 to 26 September 2026, at the Pride Inn Convention Centre in Shanzu, Mombasa.

What was the theme of KRACON 2026?

"Kidney Health: Beyond Nephrology", with five sub-themes on Vision 2030, access, data, precision nephrology and the interconnected kidney.

What guideline was launched at KRACON 2026?

The National Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Kidney Conditions, First Edition 2026, developed by the Ministry of Health with the Kenya Renal Association.

Where can I read the KRACON 2026 programme?

The Kenya Renal Association publishes the programme on its website, kenyarenal.org, alongside the national kidney guidelines.

This article is produced by Nanto Med for educational purposes. We are equipment suppliers, not clinicians. Nothing here constitutes clinical guidance. Patients should follow the advice of their nephrologist and dialysis team.

References

]]>Tue, 06 Oct 2026 08:32:54 +0300<![CDATA[Kenya's first national kidney guidelines: what to know]]>https://med.nanto.com/blogs/post/kenya-national-kidney-guidelines-2026

The short answer: in September 2026 the Ministry of Health and the Kenya Renal Association launched The National Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Kidney Conditions, First Edition 2026. They shift kidney care towards prevention and early detection, define the role of each level of care and set dialysis standards, including three haemodialysis sessions a week as typical.

These are Kenya's first national guidelines dedicated to kidney disease. They were launched at the opening ceremony of KRACON 2026 in Mombasa, and they matter to everyone from a community health promoter to a nephrologist running a dialysis unit. This post summarises what the guidelines say, in plain language, with section references so that you can read the original. We are an equipment supplier, not a clinical body: patients should discuss anything here with their nephrologist before changing anything about their care.

What are the new national kidney guidelines?

The guidelines were developed by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Kenya Renal Association and a multidisciplinary technical working group. According to the preface, that group included national and county governments, professional associations, training institutions, private institutions, implementing partners and patient representatives. They cover prevention, screening, diagnosis, management, referral and follow-up of kidney disease, with chapters on children, diabetes, infections, pregnancy, dialysis, nutrition and mental health.

The foreword, signed by the Director General for Health, sets out why they were needed: about 5% of deaths in Kenya are due to chronic kidney disease (CKD), and a health system focused mainly on end-stage kidney disease is "not sustainable". Earlier in the year, at the national World Kidney Day event, the Ministry put the number of Kenyans living with CKD at about 3.1 million.

Who should be screened for kidney disease?

The guidelines are clear that universal population screening is not cost-effective. Instead they recommend targeted screening of high-risk people (section 5.4), including people with:

  • high blood pressure
  • diabetes
  • heart and blood vessel disease
  • a family history of kidney disease
  • a past episode of acute kidney injury
  • conditions such as lupus, HIV or obesity
  • high-risk jobs or exposure to substances that damage the kidneys

The screening tests named are a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) and an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from a blood test. For people who remain at risk, the guidelines recommend repeat screening every 6 to 12 months. This matches the international KDIGO 2024 CKD guideline, which also uses eGFR and albuminuria together to stage CKD.

If you have high blood pressure or diabetes and have never had these two tests, that is a reasonable question to raise at your next clinic visit.

What does each level of the health system do?

One of the most practical parts of the guidelines is Table 3 (section 2.2), which assigns roles by level of care:

  • Level 1, community: health promotion, early danger signs (swelling, blood in urine, less urine) and referral.
  • Levels 2 and 3, dispensaries and health centres: formal risk assessment and screening, initial management of blood pressure and diabetes, referral to level 4.
  • Level 4, county referral hospitals: diagnosis and staging, laboratory and imaging services, starting kidney-protective treatment, specialist consultation where available.
  • Levels 5 and 6, national and teaching referral hospitals: dialysis, transplant services, sub-specialist care, training and research.

The guidelines also list indications for mandatory referral to a nephrologist (section 5.11), and they note that late referral is associated with poorer outcomes, including emergency starts to dialysis.

How many dialysis sessions a week do the guidelines recommend?

Section 10.5 covers maintenance haemodialysis. The key points:

  • Haemodialysis for chronic kidney disease is typically performed three times per week, with each session lasting about 4 to 5 hours, although schedules may be individualised.
  • Recommended adequacy targets are three sessions a week, 12 to 15 hours in total, and either a mid-week Kt/V of at least 1.2 per session or a urea reduction ratio (URR) of at least 65% per session.
  • Twice-weekly schedules are generally insufficient unless the patient has significant remaining kidney function.
  • Dialysis must be done in government-accredited centres, by a dialysis-trained nurse or technologist, following an individual prescription reviewed regularly by the nephrologist.

Patients and families should know that how many sessions are funded is set separately, through the Social Health Authority's tariffs (Legal Notice 56 of 2025, as amended). If you are unsure how many sessions you need, or how your sessions are covered, ask your nephrologist and your unit. Do not reduce or add sessions on your own.

What do the guidelines say about dialysis equipment and monitoring?

For units, three points stand out:

  • Dialyzers. The guidelines recommend synthetic polymer hollow-fibre dialyzers with membranes that minimise complement and leukocyte activation (section 10.5.3). The prescription should specify efficiency, flux and size (1.0 to 2.1 m²).
  • Delivered dose. The dialysis team should routinely monitor delivered dose using Kt/V or URR. A prescription only works if the machine delivers it: blood flow, dialysate flow and session time all depend on equipment that is maintained and calibrated.
  • Laboratory monitoring. Section 10.5.9 sets a schedule: complete blood count, sodium, potassium, urea, creatinine, calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase and albumin monthly; HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C serology every 3 months; parathyroid hormone, vitamin D and iron studies every 6 months.

The second point is where we work. A machine whose dialysate flow has drifted out of tolerance can quietly deliver less dialysis than prescribed. Nanto Med specialises in parts for the Fresenius 4008, 5008 and 6008, and if you run 4008 machines, our 4008 preventive maintenance guide explains the manufacturer's flow and pressure checks. We stock the genuine Fresenius TSC and maintenance kit and complete gear pump in Nairobi. For planning spares across a unit, see our parts sourcing handbook.

Where can I read the full guidelines?

The guidelines are published by the Ministry of Health, and the Kenya Renal Association hosts the full guidelines document on its website. The document states that any part may be freely reviewed, quoted, reproduced or translated with acknowledgement of the source, but not sold or used for commercial purposes.

Frequently asked questions

Are these Kenya's first kidney guidelines?

Yes. They were launched in September 2026 as the First Edition, and the KRACON 2026 programme described the launch as the Kenya Renal Association's first ever guideline launch.

Who should be tested for chronic kidney disease in Kenya?

People at high risk, including those with high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, a family history of kidney disease, past acute kidney injury, HIV, lupus or obesity. The tests are a urine ACR and an eGFR.

How many haemodialysis sessions a week do the guidelines recommend?

Typically three sessions a week, 4 to 5 hours each, totalling 12 to 15 hours. Your nephrologist sets your individual prescription.

What is a good Kt/V or URR?

The guidelines' targets are a mid-week Kt/V of at least 1.2 per session, or a URR of at least 65% per session. Your dialysis team interprets your results.

Should I change my dialysis schedule after reading this?

No. Discuss any questions with your nephrologist and your dialysis unit. These guidelines guide health workers; your care plan is individual.

This article is produced by Nanto Med for educational purposes. We are equipment suppliers, not clinicians. Nothing here constitutes clinical guidance. Patients should follow the advice of their nephrologist and dialysis team.

References

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