Quezon City and Boehringer Ingelheim are bringing kidney disease screening to the barangay level. For the 13 million Filipinos living with CKD — most of them unknowingly — the timing couldn’t be more deliberate.
By the time most Filipinos find out their kidneys are failing, there’s not much left to do. Chronic kidney disease is quiet that way — fatigue that reads as overwork, nausea that gets blamed on lunch, skin that just feels off. The symptoms, if they even register, rarely point to anything serious. And so the disease advances, stage by stage, until dialysis becomes the only conversation left to have.
That gap between onset and diagnosis is exactly what the Quezon City Health Department and Boehringer Ingelheim Philippines are trying to close. The two organizations have signed a Terms of Reference formalizing the rollout of “Iwas Dialysis, Ligtas Kidneys: Get CheCKD Habang Maaga Pa!” — a community-based early screening initiative that will operate through barangay health centers across the city.
Why barangay-level matters
An estimated 13 million Filipinos — about 11.2% of the population — are living with chronic kidney disease. The majority remain undiagnosed until the condition has already progressed to a point where options narrow significantly. This isn’t a failure of medicine so much as a failure of access: early screening simply hasn’t reached people where they live.
The program aims to change that geography. Rather than expecting residents to seek out specialized care, the initiative brings screening to familiar ground — the health center at the end of the street, the nurse who already knows your family. Alongside detection, it will offer kidney health education and facilitate referrals for residents whose results flag concern.
“Many patients only receive a diagnosis when the disease has already significantly progressed. Because symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, or skin irritation are often overlooked, early screening becomes especially important for individuals living with diabetes or hypertension.” Dr. Greta Cortez, Head of Medicine, Boehringer Ingelheim Philippines
The higher-risk window
For those already managing diabetes or hypertension — two of CKD’s most common precursors — the stakes of late detection are compounded. The program specifically targets this group, recognizing that early intervention here isn’t just preventive; it’s the difference between managing a chronic condition and facing organ failure.
Quezon City Health Officer Dr. Ramona Abarquez framed the initiative within the city’s longer commitment to accessible, preventive care: the goal is to catch the disease early enough that it stays manageable — before it becomes life-threatening, before the family has to figure out thrice-weekly dialysis schedules, before the choices run out.
Before you book the specialist
For QCitizens curious about their kidney health — particularly those with a family history of CKD, or who are managing blood sugar or blood pressure — the program offers a practical first step. Screening and education activities will roll out at barangay centers across the city. More information, including resources on CKD and early detection, is available at ItStartsWithYou.com.ph.
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