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Taking Action on Chronic Kidney Disease in Canada

1 in 10 Canadians have Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), but despite its prevalence, it remains underrecognized. This public health crisis is growing as key risk factors rise, worsened by the fact that CKD is not formally classified as a chronic disease at the national level.

There is no cure for kidney disease, but early detection and intervention slows progression, saves lives, and reduces strain on our health care system.

We need to act now.

Government action is needed to establish a national strategy and address critical disparities in awareness, prevention, diagnosis, and access to care. The Kidney Foundation of Canada is developing a national strategic framework to drive this work forward.

This Framework will be Canada’s first comprehensive, evidence-based roadmap designed to transform kidney health outcomes across the country - and one that governments can use to inform policy, planning, and decision-making.  Download our infographic to learn more about the Framework: Taking Action on Chronic Kidney Disease in Canada

The Framework is being developed through extensive collaboration with patients, clinicians, researchers, and provincial health policymakers. It advocates for a coordinated national approach that reverses current trends and builds a modern, equitable, and resilient kidney care system rooted in three urgent national strategic priorities:

  1. Prioritize Prevention, Early Detection, and Timely Intervention: Moving beyond treating kidney failure to actively mitigating risk factors like diabetes and hypertension, and ensuring targeted testing to ensure that Canadians are diagnosed before irreversible damage occurs.
  2. Advance Research & Data for Better Kidney Health: Investing in innovative research and leveraging existing data infrastructure to strengthen evidence and ensure that new discoveries are rapidly translated into clinical practice across all jurisdictions.
  3. Ensure Equitable Access to Kidney Care for All Canadians: Addressing systemic barriers by expanding culturally competent, multidisciplinary care, including increasing access to new treatments and medicines, especially in the early stages of kidney disease.

The Staggering Cost of Inaction

CKD is more prevalent than diabetes and is a systemic failure of prevention. These are the facts driving our commitment to advocate for change:

  • There is no cure for kidney disease, but early detection and intervention slows progression and saves lives.
  • 1 in 10 Canadians have kidney disease, with undiagnosed prevalence likely much higher.
  • 6.2M + Canadians are projected to have CKD by 2050.
  • CKD costs the Canadian economy billions of dollars annually.
  • 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.
  • Those who progress to kidney failure face devastating physical, emotional, and financial hardships.

Canada needs this Framework now to ensure our most vulnerable patients receive the urgent attention they deserve.

Kidney.ca News, 18 November 2025: Global kidney disease data a ‘wake up call for Canada’

"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, transplant recipient