In Practice

An effective approach to chronic kidney disease in South Africa

Mohammed Rafique Moosa, Anthony M Meyers, Errol Gottlich, Sarala Naicker

Abstract


Very few patients with end-stage kidney disease in South Africa receive renal replacement treatment (RRT), despite the rapidly growing demand, because of resource constraints. Nephrologists who agonise daily about who to treat and who not to, and have been doing so since the inception of dialysis in this country, welcomed the opportunity to interact with the National Department of Health at a recent summit of stakeholders. The major challenges were identified and recommendations for short- to long-term solutions were made. While the renal community can still improve efficiencies, it is clear that much of the responsibility for improving access to RRT and reducing inequities must be borne by the national government. The summit marks the first step in a process that we hope will ultimately culminate in universal access to RRT for all South Africans.


Authors' affiliations

Mohammed Rafique Moosa, Ministerial Committee on Transplantation, South Africa; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa; Tygerberg Academic Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa

Anthony M Meyers, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; National Kidney Foundation, South Africa

Errol Gottlich, Morningside Mediclinic, Johannesburg, South Africa

Sarala Naicker, Ministerial Committee on Transplantation, South Africa; Emeritus Professor of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

Full Text

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Keywords

Chronic kidney failure; Dialysis; Human resources; Kidney transplantion; Burden of disease

Cite this article

South African Medical Journal 2016;106(2):156-159. DOI:10.7196/SAMJ.2016.v106i2.9928

Article History

Date submitted: 2015-08-04
Date published: 2016-01-21

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