Australians undergoing kidney treatment doubles in 20 years

AUSTRALIA: The number of Australians requiring the kidney replacement therapy (KTR) has more than doubled over the last 20 years, Government data has revealed.

According to a report published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) on Tuesday, 27,700 Australians received KTR in 2020 — up from 11,700 in 2000.

Of those, 53 percent were on dialysis with the remainder being kidney transplant recipients who required ongoing care.

The report found dialysis — a procedure that removes waste from the blood when kidneys stop working properly — was the most common reason for hospitalization in Australia in 2019-20, accounting for 14 percent of all admissions. AIHW spokesperson Miriam Lum On said that chronic kidney disease refers to conditions of the kidney affecting the filtration and removal of waste from the blood for three months or more. “It is estimated that 1.7 million Australians are living with early signs of kidney disease, but many Australians are unaware,” Lum On said in a media release.

“Kidney failure is the most severe form of chronic kidney disease. It occurs when kidneys can no longer function adequately, at which point people require either dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive,” Lum On said.

– XINHUA