Abstract
Western Europe boasts advanced healthcare systems, robust kidney care guidelines, and a well-established healthcare workforce. Despite this, significant disparities in kidney replacement therapy incidence, prevalence, and transplant access exist. This paper presents the third International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas’s findings on kidney care availability, accessibility, affordability, and quality in 22 Western European countries, representing 99% of the region's population. The known chronic kidney disease (CKD) prevalence across Western Europe averages 10.6%, slightly above the global median. Cardiovascular diseases account for a substantial portion of CKD-related deaths. Kidney failure incidence varies. Government health expenditure differs, however, most countries offer government-funded acute kidney injury, dialysis, and kidney transplantation care. Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are universally available, with variations in the number of dialysis centers. Kidney transplantation is available in all countries (except for three microstates), with variable transplant center prevalence. Conservative kidney management is increasingly accessible. The region's kidney care workforce is substantial, exceeding global averages, however, workforce shortages are reported. Barriers to optimal kidney care include limited workforce capacity, lack of surveillance mechanisms, and suboptimal integration into national non-communicable disease strategies. Policy recognition of CKD as a health priority varies across countries. While Western Europe exhibits strong kidney care infrastructure, opportunities for improvement exist, particularly in CKD prevention, surveillance, awareness, and policy implementation. Efforts to improve CKD care should include automated detection, educational support, and enhanced workflows. Based on these findings, healthcare professionals, stakeholders, and policymakers are called to act to enhance kidney care across the region.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 136-151 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | Kidney International Supplements |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 8 Apr 2024 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 8 Apr 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2024 International Society of Nephrology
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