ISN Statement on the need to prioritize kidney disease in public health emergency preparedness and response planning at a pre-meeting of the 75th World Health Assembly
As the Covid-19 pandemic had a disproportionate physical, mental and fiscal impact upon the world’s 850 million kidney patients, the International Society of Nephrology welcomes the WHO and its member states efforts in this area.
That said, with related mortality continuing to increase yearly and projected to be the 5th leading cause of death by 2040, we and our partners in the Global Coalition for Circulatory Health, call for kidney disease, and other circulatory conditions, be a top priority in your preparedness and response planning.
As set out in our paper, Preventing the Next Pandemic: The Case for Investing in Circulatory Health, this would include, but not be limited to, increased support for the healthcare workforce, global vaccine equity, embracing new models of care and digital health solutions, as well as fiscal policies on unhealthy commodities to support these investments.
We’re already in contact with many of you regarding these matters and would be delighted to engage bilaterally with others to expand upon these views.
