About the Event

Kidney disease has often been described as the most neglected chronic disease. Every year at least 5 million people could die from kidney disease, many from lack of access to critical treatments. And by 2040 chronic kidney disease, or CKD, is projected to become the fifth leading cause of years of life lost worldwide.

CKD spans communicable and noncommunicable disease, maternal and child health, and is impacted by and impacts climate change. Kidney disease is exacerbated by poverty and vulnerability, and is associated with mental health disorders, poor oral health, and is an important contributor to death from cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer.

The impact of CKD is especially devastating for patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where it’s often not detected and treated early, meaning that important opportunities are lost to prevent and treat CKD. Many patients present very late in the course of disease and must face catastrophic health expenditure trying to access costly treatments such as dialysis and kidney transplants, or die.

This event, hosted by Devex in partnership with the International Society of Nephrology on the occasion of the 77th session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, will explore what’s needed to guarantee kidney health for all, including the need to improve CKD awareness, diagnosis and access to quality care, and capacity building of the health care workforce. The event will bring together a diverse group of experts to discuss what’s needed to implement multisectoral, holistic approaches to CKD, and will also count on patient voices to help shed light on existing gaps in access to treatment and care.