First Nations Kidney Health program urgently required to tackle hidden killer
First Nations peoples are significantly more likely to experience kidney failure compared to non-Indigenous Australians. While they are six times more likely to be on dialysis treatment for kidney failure they are unfortunately much less likely to receive a kidney transplant.
About one in five First Nations peoples are living with signs of chronic kidney disease, which often hides alongside accompanying health conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Twice the prevalence to non-Indigenous Australians.
“It’s a disease where there's no symptoms,” says Kidney Health Australia CEO Chris Forbes. “You can lose 90% of your kidney function and not have any idea – people are seemingly well one day and unwell the next resulting in a really late diagnosis.”
While two million Australians currently have kidney disease, mostly undiagnosed, First Nations peoples are more likely to be diagnosed at an earlier age, have poorer access to treatment, and experience worse overall health outcomes.
The problem is exacerbated by a range of factors. Almost one-third (32.4%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients reported racial discrimination in medical settings most or all the time, according to an Australian Institute of Health and Wellbeing national survey.
“It's a national shame,” Forbes says. “Central Australia has the highest rates of kidney failure anywhere in the world – that's completely unacceptable.”
Kidney Health Australia recently completed 4 years of work aiming to understand the needs and experiences of First Nations’ peoples with kidney disease. This culminated in the publication of the first ever guideline for Culturally Safe Kidney Care in First Nations Australians. Following on from this, in early 2024, Kidney Health Australia will release the 5th edition of the Chronic Kidney Disease Management in Primary Care handbook which will further cement these recommendations into GP practices across the country, helping to drive the detection and management of chronic kidney disease among First Nations peoples.