850 million is not just a number; it is a fact, a fact that underlines that there are more than 850 million people who suffer from some form of kidney disease, which is increasing every year.
ASN, ERA-EDTA, and ISN have joined forces to raise awareness on the importance and impact of kidney diseases in the world.
The article, “A single number for advocacy and communication – worldwide more than 850 million individuals have kidney diseases” highlights five key points regarding this hidden epidemic.
UNDERESTIMATED PROBLEM
Most people are not aware of their impaired kidney function. In general, kidney diseases are “silent” with no apparent early symptoms. According to the World Health Organization, kidney diseases are a leading cause of death.
850 MILLION PEOPLE
More than 850 million people worldwide have some form of kidney disease, which is roughly double the number of people who live with diabetes (422 million) and 20 times more than the prevalence of cancer worldwide (42 million) or people living with AIDS/HIV (36.7 million)
CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE (CKD) AND ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY (AKI)
The prevalence of CKD worldwide is 10.4% among men and 11.8% among women. AKI, experienced by 13.3 million people each year, may resolve or lead to CKD or kidney failure in the future.
INSUFFICIENT TREATMENT
Between 5.3 and 10.5 million people require dialysis or transplantation, although many do not receive these treatments due to lack of resources or financial barriers.
FINANCIAL BURDEN
Treating people with kidney diseases and kidney failure imposes a heavy financial burden on healthcare budgets, as the annual cost per patient for hemodialysis are, for example, US$ 88,195 in the USA, up to US$ 58,812 in Germany, US $ 83,616 in Belgium or US$ 70,928 in France.