Kidney Disease in Women: A Call to Action

The George Institute for Global Health proudly supports a new report, “Kidney Disease in Women: A Call to Action,” calling for targeted gender specific treatment and interventions.

The report, produced jointly by World Kidney Day and the Taskforce on Women and Non-Communicable Diseases highlights that chronic disease is the eighth leading cause of mortality among women, causing more than 600,000 deaths a year.

The call to action was unveiled in India at a panel discussion held by The George Institute and Arogya World in New Delhi.

Prof Vivekanand Jha, Executive Director of The George Institute India and President-Elect of the International Society of Nephrology, highlighted the additional risks that women face to their kidney health, specifically during pregnancy.

“We know that pregnancy-related complications increase the risk of kidney disease, and that women who have preeclampsia/eclampsia, for example, are four to five times more likely to have kidney failure,” he said.

The action plan recommends:

  1. Increased awareness of kidney disease in pregnancy-related complications,  Prevention and early screening for hypertension in all women, Screening and monitoring of individuals born preterm, small for gestational age and low birth weight to modify risk factors to prevent kidney disease in later life
  2. Targeted measures that reduce barriers to access to diagnosis and treatment for kidney disease among women and girls, and provide financial protection against catastrophic health expenditure
  3. Integration of kidney disease in strategies to prevent, detect and manage all chronic diseases, specifically those targeting women
  4. More research into sex and gender differences in the way kidney disease is experienced and treated

It also calls on strategies to target the main risk factors for kidney disease by focusing on patient education and screening, increasing public awareness, systematic screening for kidney disease risk factors and implementing public health policies that support lifestyle changes.

Read the report, ‘Kidney Disease in Women: A Call to Action’ (PDF 156KB).

The George Institute is a member of the Taskforce on Women and Non-Communicable Diseases.