Urgent Call To Prioritise Kidney Disease As Dialysis Demand Soars

Kidney Health New Zealand is calling for Chronic Kidney Disease to be listed as a top health priority for the Government as New Zealand’s dialysis units struggle to cope with growing numbers of patients.

KHNZ Board Member and kidney specialist Dr Curtis Walker (Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Porou) says chronic kidney disease is on the rise in New Zealand and long-term planning and a strategy are urgently needed.

There are 31 dialysis units (in dialysis centres, satellite locations and in homes) across New Zealand. Most are already operating at capacity, and several large centres are dialysing around the clock, with four patients dialysed per machine in a 24-hour period.

“Demand for dialysis is forecast to grow by 30 percent over the next decade, which will see costs increase by $150 million a year,” says Dr Walker.

“On World Kidney Day, we are calling on the Government to prioritise kidney disease prevention because, if caught early, it can be managed and dialysis is not required. Kidney failure often goes undetected, yet kidney health can be easily checked through a simple blood test through your healthcare provider.”

Dr Walker says one in 10 people in New Zealand have kidney disease, and many don’t know until they become symptomatic.

Rates are higher for people with high blood pressure, diabetes and those who are of Māori, Pacific Island, or South Asian descent. There are also inequities in access to dialysis facilities nationwide, particularly in rural areas where Māori are disproportionately represented.

“We need our kidneys to survive. If our kidneys don’t work well enough, we generally feel OK right until they’re working at about 10 percent — which is too late.

“Around that stage, people start feeling tired, their appetite might go down, and they might start to feel sick. It can also change your temperature sensation - people can feel cold. They keep the heaters on, wear two jerseys and yet they still don’t feel warm. At that stage, the only way to feel better or to live longer is to have dialysis or a kidney transplant. Otherwise, the symptoms of feeling tired, cold, and unwell progress and eventually this leads to death.”

Kidney disease is usually silent and is treatable, so early detection and intervention are cost-effective.

Reducing the number of patients reaching end-stage kidney disease (needing dialysis) would also reduce the escalating financial burden of dialysis on the health system.

Dialysis treatment involves being connected to a machine for 15-30 hours per week and has a large impact on the health and wellbeing of individuals.

“Diabetes and high blood pressure account for around 70 percent of kidney failure we see here in New Zealand. If we pick these up early, we can slow things down so your kidneys can be as healthy as they can for as long as they can,” Dr Walker says.

“Kidneys help clean the blood and produce urine. They help keep our bones strong by producing vitamin D and help our energy up by helping to produce red blood cells. When kidneys don’t work well, toxins build up, bones can become weaker, and you can become anaemic.”

Kidney Health New Zealand, a charity dedicated to better kidney health for Kiwis, is doing free tests at events all around the country this month – including at New Zealand Parliament today (12 March).

World Kidney Day is on 13 March and is held globally to raise awareness of the growing rates of Chronic Kidney Disease, which is predicted to become the fifth leading cause of death worldwide by 2050.

There are around 400 people on the waiting list for a kidney transplant in New Zealand.

Anyone in New Zealand affected by kidney disease, including friends and family of those affected, can contact Kidney Health New Zealand’s free helpline from 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, on 0800 543 649. Visit www.kidney.health.nz for more information.

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