A new report reveals an increase of kidney disease incidence in Australia and projected that the number of Australians suffering from kidney disease could increase by more than 54% to 2010.

The report by Kidney Health Australia and The George Institute for Global Health, 'The Economic Impact of End-Stage Kidney Disease in Australia', shows that treating end-stage kidney disease from 2009 to 2020 will cost an estimated $12 billion.

In Australia, 17, 578 Australians were provided dialysis and transplant services, as the cost of $800 million to the health system in 2008. By 2010, the report say that more more than 30,000 Australians will require treatment. It cites population ageing and growing rates of diabetes and obesity as likely drivers of this increasing demand for dialysis and kidney transplantation.

Prompted by the findings, Kidney Health Australia called on the State and Territory Governments to improve access to home-based dialysis for patients. It estimates that increasing the use of home dialysis over the next 10 years would lead to estimated net savings of between $378 and $430 million for the health system. At present, the annual costs per person for home dialysis is $49,137 as compared to $79,072 for hospital dialysis.

Kidney Health Australia CEO Anne Wilson said home dialysis avoids some of the psychosocial, financial and vocational pressures for patients and their families that are associated with less flexible treatment schedules and repeated travel to and from dialysis units.

"Increasing access to home-based dialysis will not only lead to huge savings for our health system, it will also significantly improve the lives of many Australians. Yet despite these alarming costs, there has been limited expansion of home dialysis largely due to a lack of resources and facilities for home-based dialysis training."

Ms. Wilson said the condition needs to receive more attention from government because of the incidence of kidney disease and the impact it has on both the health system and the individual.

"The cost of providing dialysis and transplant services to the health system this year alone is $1 billion, and this cost will continue to rise substantially over the next decade," she said.

George Institute for Global Health (Renal & Metabolic Division) Senior Director Prof. Alan Cassagrees said that the projected growth in the burden of end-stage kidney disease requires a comprehensive national response.

"By 2020, we will have 30,000 Australians requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant to stay alive, with significant impact on patients, their families and health services," Professor Cass said.

"Chronic disease prevention, early identification and best-practice management are essential if we hope to slow the growth of kidney disease."

"We should develop strategies to overcome the financial and structural barriers affecting the ability to shift dialysis treatment from the hospital sector to the community sector. This would reduce health expenditure and, with appropriate support services in place, mitigate the devastating impact of severe kidney disease on patients and their families."

The report was commissioned by Kidney Health Australia, conducted by the George Institute for Global Health. It was funded by an unrestricted educational grant from Roche Australia. The full report can be viewed at www.kidney.org.au.