Treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Taiwan emits an estimated 1.03 million tonnes of greenhouse gases annually and is to cost NT$62.18 billion (US$1.97 billion) by next year, medical experts said yesterday, calling for stronger preventive healthcare.
Taiwan Society of Nephrology and pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca’s Taiwan branch made the remarks at a news conference marking the publication of a joint study on the impact of CKD on Taiwan.
The research revealed that emissions from dialysis treatment for Taiwanese are the equivalent of 1,700 round-the-world flights by commercial jets, they said.
Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Society of Nephrology
Taiwan has one of the highest CKD prevalence rates in the world, with 1.97 million patients with a Stage 1, 2 or 3 diagnosis, despite reducing dialysis recipients to 97,262 last year, Taiwan Society of Nephrology honorary chairman Wu Mai-szu (吳麥斯) said.
CKD perennially occupies a spot as one of the top 10 causes of mortality in Taiwan and its treatment costs more than any other disease for the National Health Insurance fund, he said.
The human, economic and environmental costs of the disease would only worsen if Taiwan continues to fail patients in the early stages of CKD, he added.
Citing the study, Wu said that CKD progression leads to a near exponential increase in medical burden and greenhouse gas emissions, as a person undergoing dialysis releases 1.7 times the emissions of an average Taiwanese, he said.
“The study shows CKD progression has an exponential toll on healthcare,” he said.
Taiwan’s healthcare providers should shift the focus of their efforts to treating CKD in its early stages to align with changes in global medical strategy that increasingly emphasize risk management and early intervention, Wu said.
CKD treatment should share resources with those diseases that also rely on managing blood sugar levels and blood pressure, such as cardiovascular conditions, Wu said.
Doctors should also promote outpatient treatment for patients with late-stage CKD to cut costs associated with transporting patients to and from hospital, he said.
Early diagnosis and medical intervention can effectively delay disease progression and sometimes prevent patients from needing high-powered dialysis altogether, saving up to 760,000 tonnes of emissions and lowering costs, he added.
The society’s recommendation is for a comprehensive strategy to deploy screening, treatment and care earlier, Wu said.
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