title: An effective approach to chronic kidney disease in South Africa.
abstract: Very few patients with end-stage kidney disease in South Africa receive renal replacement treatment (RRT), despite the rapidly growing demand, because of resource constraints. Nephrologists who agonise daily about who to treat and who not to, and have been doing so since the inception of dialysis in this country, welcomed the opportunity to interact with the National Department of Health at a recent summit of stakeholders. The major challenges were identified and recommendations for short- to long-term solutions were made. While the renal community can still improve efficiencies, it is clear that much of the responsibility for improving access to RRT and reducing inequities must be borne by the national government. The summit marks the first step in a process that we hope will ultimately culminate in universal access to RRT for all South Africans.
authors.affiliation: Ministerial Committee on Transplantation, South Africa; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa; Tygerberg Academic Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa. rmm@sun.ac.za.
authors.forename: Mohammed Rafique
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Moosa
authors.forename: Anthony M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Meyers
authors.forename: Errol
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gottlich
authors.forename: Sarala
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naicker
mesh_terms: D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009398:Nephrology / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D017582:Renal Replacement Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology