Kidney Health Australia is calling on all sides of government to commit to a bold, nation-changing aspiration: End Dialysis by 2050.
“This is not just a crisis it’s a perfect storm, a defining moment for healthcare in Australia,” says Chris Forbes, CEO of Kidney Health Australia.
“Without urgent action, we are facing an unsustainable explosion in kidney failure cases. An investment in early detection and disease prevention is the only way to shift the trajectory. We need governments to step up and help revolutionise the way we detect and manage kidney disease.”
Kidney failure places enormous strain on individuals, families and the healthcare system. The physical, emotional, and financial burdens of dialysis are immense, yet most of these cases could be prevented with earlier diagnosis and better management.
Chronic Kidney Disease is often linked to other serious health conditions, including high blood pressure and diabetes, which has also seen a sharp rise in prevalence over the last ten years.
The National Health Measures Survey also found that one in fifteen adults (6.6% of the adult population) now has diabetes, up from one in 20 a decade ago.
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, making this crisis worse.
Kidney Health Australia is urging all Australians, particularly those at increased risk of kidney disease, such as people with diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of kidney disease, to visit their doctor and get a kidney health check.
“A simple kidney health check could save your life,” Mr Forbes says.
“We need every Australian to take this seriously. Early detection is the key to preventing kidney failure and the need for dialysis or kidney transplant.”
Key Stats from the National Health Measures Survey
● 1 in 7 adults (14.2%) have indicators of CKD, up from 10.8% in 2012.
●2.69 million Australians are living with signs of CKD, up from 1.7 million people in 2012.
●7.4% of people aged 18 years and over with indicators of CKD self-reported having kidney disease.
●2.49 million Australians are living with signs of CKD who don’t know they have it.
●CKD prevalence increases with age. One in 20 (4.8%) people aged 18–29 years had indicators of CKD, compared to 9 in 20 (44.7%) people aged 75 years and over.
