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Canada’s Silent Public Health Crisis

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) affects 1 in 10 Canadians—over 4 million people—yet it remains an unrecognized chronic disease. As Canada’s 11th leading cause of death1, CKD is a public health crisis, and without urgent intervention, the number of affected Canadians is projected to rise to 6.2 million by 2050. 

For the millions of Canadians living with CKD, the impact goes far beyond statistics. Because kidney disease often develops without symptoms, many people do not know they have it until permanent damage has occurred. At that point, they face an uncertain future navigating a complex treatment journey. The physical, emotional, and financial toll can be overwhelming. 

The burden of CKD is also an economic crisis. It is one of Canada's costliest chronic conditions, with an annual economic impact exceeding $40 billion2 when factoring in direct health care costs, indirect costs, and other health conditions. Despite this, the Government of Canada does not currently recognize CKD as a distinct chronic illness alongside conditions like diabetes or cancer, which leads to significant gaps in policy, funding, and data.

A Unified Framework for Canada

To drive government action and address these gaps, The Kidney Foundation of Canada has created a National Strategic Framework for Chronic Kidney Disease.  

Download the Framework (PDF)

The Framework is Canada’s first unified roadmap to transform kidney care from a reactive model to a proactive, resilient system focused on kidney health. It provides decision-makers with a vital tool to address critical challenges, including the persistently high rates of late-stage diagnosis and the alarming rise in CKD mortality in Canada. 

The goal of the Framework is to transform kidney health for all Canadians through prevention, early diagnosis and intervention, equitable access to care, and evidence-informed policy. The Framework will help to ensure that every Canadian, regardless of where they live or what resources they have, can access timely, quality kidney care. 

PRIORITIZE PREVENTION, EARLY DETECTION, AND TIMELY INTERVENTION:

Move beyond treating kidney failure to actively mitigating risk factors like diabetes and hypertension, and implementing systematic screening so Canadians are diagnosed early when serious kidney damage can still be delayed or prevented.

ENSURE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO KIDNEY CARE FOR ALL CANADIANS:

Address systemic barriers by expanding culturally competent, multidisciplinary care, including increasing access to new treatments and medicines, especially in the early stages of the disease.

ADVANCE RESEARCH AND DATA FOR BETTER KIDNEY HEALTH:

Invest in innovative research and leverage existing data infrastructure to strengthen evidence-based decision-making, and ensure that new discoveries are rapidly translated into practice.


"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

We Need To Act Now

We have the roadmap, but your voice is the engine that will drive government action. We are calling on the Government of Canada to formally recognize CKD as a distinct chronic disease and adopt the National Strategic Framework as the blueprint for kidney care in Canada.

Help us transform kidney health by taking these two critical steps: 

  1. Write to your elected officials: Visit ActForCKD.ca to send a personalized letter to your MP and Provincial Representative calling on our government to act on the National Strategic Framework for CKD. 
  2. Sign the E-Petition: After sending your letter, click the link to add your name to the official House of Commons e-petition to ensure our voices are heard in Parliament. 
  3. Spread the Word: Use our social media kit to invite others to take action. 

Visit ActForCKD.ca 

1. Statistics Canada (2010 - 2024) Leading causes of death, total population, by age group https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1310039401
2. Manns B, McKenzie SQ, Au F, Gignac PM, Geller LI. The Financial Impact of Advanced Kidney Disease on Canada Pension Plan and Private Disability Insurance Costs. Canadian Journal of Kidney Health and Disease. 2017;4. doi:10.1177/2054358117703986 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2054358117703986