Australians face dialysis inequities amid surge in kidney failure

A recent Australian study involving over 32,000 participants has highlighted the alarming hotspots of kidney failure and the rising demand for dialysis, underscoring stark health disparities linked to rural areas. The findings reveal an urgent need to address these inequities, which are exacerbating the chronic kidney disease (CKD) burden across the nation.

CKD is a significant health challenge in Australia, impacting one in ten adults, and is recognised as a priority by the government.

Leveraging data from the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant (ANZDATA) Registry, the authors emphasised, “Health services and planners could employ this approach to inform kidney disease detection, preventing kidney failure progression and improving earlier referral to specialist nephrology services, thus ameliorating the significant burden of kidney disease on the health system and community.”

Chris Forbes, CEO of Kidney Health Australia, highlighted the disproportionate impact of kidney disease on vulnerable and underserved populations.

“As this paper shows, kidney disease often hits hardest on those who can least afford it, adding additional worries on top of those already faced by many Australians.

“We hear stories from our community on a daily basis about the toll dialysis treatment has on their lives – from the father who has to drive two hours each way just to access treatment because his closer units are full, to the truck driver who is faced with choosing between receiving treatment and working,” Forbes told Health Industry Hub.

As of the end of 2021, the number of Australians receiving dialysis stood at 15,193, with projections indicating a 22-30% increase by 2030. This surge is expected to be driven largely by older patients with more complex and costly healthcare needs.

Jane Walton, Renal Care Marketing Manager at Baxter Healthcare, emphasised the importance of innovation in dialysis care.

“Increased access to dialysis care and improved patient outcomes relies on developing therapies that support people to maintain their chosen lifestyle.

“Innovation in home-based Peritoneal Dialysis (PD), including remote patient management technology, is helping to empower patients to manage their own therapy at home. Home dialysis reduces the need to travel regularly to clinics, which can be a major burden for patients in remote and rural areas, and because it is performed at night while the patient sleeps, PD supports patients to continue to work and maintain their lifestyle choice.”

Forbes further added, “The reality is that while dialysis is a life-preserving treatment, renal units around the country are under pressure to provide treatment to all those who need it. This has potentially terrible outcomes for patients.

“While dialysis service planning is essential in the short term, Kidney Health Australia is committed to working with the health system and the kidney community to create better awareness of kidney disease and get people with kidney disease diagnosed earlier so that we can get in front of this insidious disease and keep people off dialysis.”

Echoing the call for early intervention, Cecelia Bagley, Business Unit Director – Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism at AstraZeneca, told Health Industry Hub, “AstraZeneca is focused on partnering across the healthcare system to slow renal progression to improve patient outcomes. Urgent action is needed to diagnose and treat chronic kidney disease early in our communities, in particular in our most vulnerable communities.”

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