Chronic kidney disease awareness, prevention and policy gaps with implications for the Nigerian Navy: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major global health concern affecting over 850 million people. Among military personnel, CKD poses unique operational and occupational challenges, yet information on awareness, prevention, and service delivery within the Nigerian Navy (NN) is limited.

OBJECTIVES

To map existing evidence on CKD knowledge, prevention practices, healthcare services, and policy frameworks relevant to the NN, identify service and evidence gaps, and propose feasible interventions.

METHODS

A scoping review guided by the PRISMA-ScR framework was conducted. Literature published between 2000 and April 2024 was searched across PubMed, African Journals Online, and Google Scholar, complemented by grey literature from the Nigerian Navy Medical Services and the Ministry of Defence. Studies were selected using the Population-Concept-Context (PCC) framework and thematically synthesized across five domains: epidemiology, screening, workforce capacity, dialysis access, and governance.

RESULTS

Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Evidence showed fragmented CKD prevention, low awareness, absence of a renal registry, gaps in workforce capacity, and restricted dialysis services confined to the Naval Medical Centre Victoria Island, and the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital Ojo. No dedicated CKD or NCD policy exists.

CONCLUSION

Strengthening screening, establishing a Navy CKD registry, and expanding tele-nephrology could enhance early detection, coordination, and operational readiness.