Kidney disease burden and access to care vary widely across the Asia-Pacific region, where geography, socioeconomic status, workforce shortages, health literacy, cultural factors, and insurance coverage can shape when patients are diagnosed and which treatments they receive. Several countries rank among those with the world’s highest prevalence of kidney failure, while rural and underserved populations frequently face limited access to nephrologists, dialysis centers, transplantation, and early CKD detection. The review also highlights population-specific disparities: Indigenous Australians and Māori and Pacific peoples experience disproportionate kidney disease burdens; women in some countries are less likely to receive kidney transplants despite frequently serving as donors; and language, migration status, and limited health literacy can further complicate access and adherence.
The report also identifies scalable strategies that may help close these gaps. Examples include Japan’s nationwide CKD programs and dialysis crisis-management network, Taiwan’s pay-for-performance CKD initiatives, Singapore’s HALT-CKD program linking primary and specialty care, Thailand’s national screening and community-based CKD models, and broader use of peritoneal dialysis and home-based therapies to expand access. Across countries, successful approaches consistently combine earlier detection, multidisciplinary care, national registries, financial protection, primary care engagement, and policies that bring treatment closer to patients. The authors conclude that reducing kidney-care inequities will require coordinated investment in prevention, workforce capacity, affordable treatment, data systems, telemedicine, education, and public policy rather than relying on a single care model.
Reference: Wu IW, Park HC, Kwek JL, et al. Disease burden and disparities of care for kidney health in the Asian Pacific region: summary report from the Diversity and Equity Committee of APSN. Nephrology (Carlton). 2026 Mar;31(3):e70186. doi: 10.1111/nep.70186. PMID: 41819812; PMCID: PMC12982000.
