National CKD Framework

From left to right: Vanessa Tait, Sue Huffman, Sean Delaney, Harroop Ahuja, Vince Andrews, Dave McKeague

Call for a national Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Framework

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is not considered a priority public health issue in Canada. Recognizing CKD as a chronic disease in its own right is necessary to drive innovative research and improve kidney care for the 4 million Canadians affected by kidney disease. A properly funded and nationally recognized system for comprehensive kidney care is essential.

The Kidney Foundation of Canada is developing a national CKD framework to address this. In collaboration with health professionals, patients, families, and many other partners, we’ll outline key priorities for the actions needed to transform kidney disease prevention, detection, and treatment in Canada.

Our commitment is to ensure that every Canadian has access to quality kidney care.

These are the facts driving our commitment to advocate for change:

• There is no cure for kidney disease
• 1 in 10 Canadians is affected, and those numbers are rapidly rising
• Kidney disease disproportionally affects the most vulnerable people in our society
• Most people don’t know that they’re at risk, because symptoms don’t usually appear until the disease is advanced
• Kidney disease is preventable and treatable, especially in its early stages
• Those who progress to kidney failure face devastating physical, emotional, and financial hardships
• CKD costs the Canadian economy billions of dollars annually

"The CKD framework is an important milestone in the care of patients with CKD. I am excited to be involved and see the results of the hard work and passion from the working group, which will have real life positive impacts on the CKD community."
- Anne Huang, Kidney Disease Patient since 2008, currently waiting for a kidney match for transplant