Kidney disease in developing countries

Kidney disease is a very big deal in poor countries as well as rich ones.

Kidney Transplantation in Developing Countries
by Goce Spasovski, Mirela Busic, Mirjana S. Matovinovic, Francis L. Delmonico

in Kidney Transplantation, Bioengineering and Regeneration
Kidney Transplantation in the Regenerative Medicine Era, Chapter 49, 2017, Pages 687–698
Abstract

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major global health burden and a public health priority. Because of its high prevalence (approximately 1 in 10 adults worldwide), CKD is associated with the risk of end stage renal disease (ESRD), cardiovascular disease, and premature mortality. A substantial proportion of patients with ESRD in developing countries may die without accessing renal replacement therapy. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that only 10% of those in need undergo kidney transplantation annually. Developing countries have a responsibility to address the organ donation and transplantation needs of its people, with a self-sufficiency based on resources obtained within a country or by regulated regional cooperation. If self-sufficiency in donation and transplantation is to be achieved, a comprehensive program must include a framework of national legislation with regulatory oversight; a program of deceased donation integrated into the national health system; an ethical practice of live donation that assures donor safety; donation and transplantation practices harmonized to global WHO ethical standards; and a program of preventive medicine that will avert an expanding population of patients with CKD.