Chronic kidney disease: a public health problem that needs a public health action plan.
For a health problem or condition to be considered a public health issue, four criteria must be met: 1) the health condition must place a large burden on society, a burden that is getting larger despite existing control efforts; 2) the burden must be distributed unfairly (i.e., certain segments of the population are unequally affected); 3) there must be evidence that upstream preventive strategies could substantially reduce the burden of the condition; and 4) such preventive strategies are not yet in place. Chronic kidney disease meets these criteria for a public health issue. Therefore, as a complement to clinical approaches to controlling it, a broad and coordinated public health approach will be necessary to meet the burgeoning health, economic, and societal challenges of chronic kidney disease.
Schoolwerth
Anton C
AC
Section of Hypertension/Nephrology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, One Medical Center Dr, 2M, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA. anton.c.schoolwerth@hitchcock.org
Engelgau
Michael M
MM
Hostetter
Thomas H
TH
Rufo
Kathy H
KH
Chianchiano
Dolph
D
McClellan
William M
WM
Warnock
David G
DG
Vinicor
Frank
F
D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health / Q000592:standards*; D015980:Public Health Practice; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014481:United States