What are the economic and environmental implications of the rising prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) across countries?

AstraZeneca Cries Havoc Over CKD’s Hit on Economies, Environment

The world’s growing prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) poses an urgent global health crisis with severe economic and environmental implications. AstraZeneca’s (AZ) recent modeling study, Impact CKD, forecasts a startling rise in CKD cases across eight industrialized nations by 2032, including an alarming 59.3% increase in advanced-stage disease.

Economic Burden

• By 2040, CKD is projected to be the fifth leading cause of death worldwide, straining health care systems and national economies.
• The study estimates that 25.7% of healthcare budgets in some countries will be allocated to CKD management by 2032.
• The combined costs of dialysis and transplants are expected to reach $186 billion, while renal replacement therapy expenses will escalate by over 77%.
• Economic productivity will be significantly impacted, with over 3 billion missed workdays due to patient and caregiver absenteeism, resulting in a loss of $37 billion.

Environmental Impact

CKD management is expected to have a devastating environmental impact:

• The carbon footprint is equivalent to the annual water usage of approximately 2.7 million households.
• Power consumption will be comparable to that of 149.7 million lightbulbs.
• CO2 emissions will be equivalent to that of 17.3 million cars.

“Our modelling emphasizes the enormous impact CKD could have on patients, economies, and the environment,” said Ruud Dobber, head of the biopharma business unit at AZ.

Need for Urgent Action

Despite these dire predictions, Dobber stressed that this future is not inevitable. AZ is committed to working with global policymakers to reduce the worldwide impact of end-stage CKD. The company urges early diagnosis and treatment to slow or halt the disease’s progression.

AZ has launched the Accelerating Change Together (ACT) for CKD program, which encompasses various initiatives to improve CKD understanding and outcomes. Studies like Reveal-CKD and Inside-CKD aim to identify the extent of underdiagnosis and project future disease burden.

By raising awareness and implementing comprehensive strategies, we can mitigate the catastrophic consequences of CKD and protect the health and well-being of populations worldwide.

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