The article was originally posted on LinkedIn by Miriam Lum on, Head of the Cardiovascular, Diabetes & Kidney Unit.
My team’s hard work is being recognised today through the release of the latest AIHW report, Chronic kidney disease: Australian facts. The report takes a deep dive into chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Australia, with a focus on:
- estimates of incidence and prevalence
- treatment and management
- risk factors
- the impact of CKD in terms of burden of disease and expenditure.
Today’s report offers valuable insights into the diversity of people’s experiences of living with CKD. We thank Ina, Sarah and Josh for allowing us to share their stories with us. These stories highlight the wide-reaching impact kidney disease has on a person, their family, friends, and communities.
CKD and kidney failure are of increasing concern in Australia. The report finds that:
- The number of Australians receiving kidney replacement therapy more than doubled between 2000 and 2020, from 11,700 to 27,700.
- Dialysis was the most common reason for hospitalisation in Australia in 2019–20, with around 1.5 million hospitalisations (14% of all hospitalisations).
- A total of 885 kidney transplant operations were performed in Australia in 2020, with 9 in 10 being for first time recipients.
This important piece of work plays a key role in monitoring CKD in Australia, and will help provide policymakers, clinicians, researchers and the community with information on the CKD landscape, differences between population groups and changes over time.
Future updates to this report will be designed to address current data gaps and provide a more complete picture of CKD.
I would like to thank my fantastic team, the AIHW Cardiovascular, Diabetes and Kidney Unit and all contributors and reviewers, for their efforts on this release.
