Fiji’s growing kidney disease burden highlights the need for global action
Nature Reviews Nephrology has published the paper “Fiji’s Rising Tide: The Growing Burden of Diabetic Kidney Disease on Emerging Nephrology Services” by Anis Ta’eed, Abhitesh Raj, Yogeshni Chandra, Shilpanjali Jesudason and Angus Ritchie. The commentary highlights the alarming rise of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in Fiji, which threatens to overwhelm its emerging nephrology services. The situation highlights the ongoing need to strengthen local kidney care services as part of a broader global effort to improve kidney care.
The role of partnerships in strengthening kidney care
The ISN Sister Renal Centers (SRC) grant played a key role in Fiji’s nephrology development, helping establish specialized kidney care and expand its nephrology workforce. After graduating from the SRC program in 2020*, Fiji continued strengthening its services, including through other ISN Grants. In 2024, Fiji joined Papua New Guinea and Australia in an ISN SRC Trio to foster collaboration and build a more robust nephrology community in the Pacific region.
Read more about the SRC partnership between centers in Fiji and Australia
Explore the global impact of ISN Grants
Staff from the Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Australia visit the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Fiji on World Kidney Day, 2019
What’s contributing to the current critical situation?
According to the article, awareness of chronic kidney disease (CKD) screening among the general population and primary care practitioners is low. Public health campaigns are urgently needed to raise awareness, promote early detection, tackle cultural misconceptions, and implement community-based noncommunicable disease screening programs.
These long-term goals align with World Kidney Day (WKD) objectives, the largest global campaign dedicated to raising awareness of kidney health and reducing the burden of kidney disease worldwide.
The authors highlight the Nephrology Society of Fiji, launched in 2023 and now an ISN Affiliated Society, as a key step in addressing the country’s specific kidney care challenges.
Sustained collaboration and advocacy are essential to prioritizing kidney care, addressing the rise of DKD and CKD in Fiji, and ensuring better outcomes for patients locally and globally.
* The SRC partnership, initially between the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Fiji and the Concord Repatriation General Hospital in Australia (2015-2020), now includes the Port Moresby General Hospital in Papua New Guinea and continues to be jointly supported by ISN and the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology.
