International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas: structures, organization and services for the management of kidney failure in North and East Asia

Abstract

Kidney failure (KF) is a public health problem in all regions of the world. We aim to provide comprehensive information regarding the disease burden of KF and capacity for providing optimal care in the International Society of Nephrology North and East Asia region based on data from the International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas project. Seven of eight jurisdictions participated, and wide variation was found in terms of KF burden and care capacity. Prevalence of long-term dialysis ranged from 88.4 per million population in mainland China to 3251 per million population in Taiwan. Hemodialysis was the predominant modality of dialysis in all jurisdictions, except for Hong Kong, where peritoneal dialysis (PD) was much more prevalent than hemodialysis. All jurisdictions provided public funding for kidney replacement therapy (dialysis and transplantation). Although the frequency and duration of hemodialysis followed a standard pattern in all investigated jurisdictions, the density of nephrologists and kidney replacement therapy centers varied according to income level. Conservative care, whether medically advised or chosen by patients, was available in most jurisdictions. All jurisdictions had official registries for KF and recognized KF as a health priority. These comprehensive data provide information about the burden of KF and capacity to provide optimal care in North and East Asia, which varied greatly across jurisdictions in the region.