Acute kidney injury due to tropical infectious diseases and animal venoms – a tale of two continents

South and Southeast Asia and Latin American together comprise 46 countries and are home to about 40% of the world population. The sociopolitical and economic heterogeneity, tropical climate and malady transitions characteristic of the region strongly influence disease behavior and healthcare delivery. AKI epidemiology mirrors these inequalities. In addition to hospital-acquired AKI in tertiary care centers, these countries face a large preventable burden of community-acquired AKI secondary to tropical infectious diseases or animal venoms, affecting previously healthy young individuals. This manuscript reviews the epidemiology, clinical picture, prevention, risk factors and pathophysiology of AKI associated with tropical diseases (malaria, dengue, leptospirosis, scrub typhus, and yellow fever) and animal venom (snakes, bees, caterpillars, spiders and scorpions) in tropical regions of Asia and Latin America, and discusses the potential future challenges due to emerging issues

Uncovering the rising kidney failure deaths in India

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is now recognized as a major medical problem worldwide1. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study 2015 placed CKD at 17th rank on the list of causes of total number of global deaths (age-standardized annual death rate of 19.2 per 100,000 population). In many countries, CKD is now amongst the top 5 causes of death (COD). In India, GBD 2015 pegs it at 8th place

Getting to know the enemy better—the global burden of chronic kidney disease

A good understanding of disease burden is the first step in formulating a response to it. Analysis of GBD 2016 dataset shows 87% rise in the global burden of CKD and a doubling of CKD deaths between 1990 and 2016. Countries with lower level of socio-economic development and poorer access to quality healthcare experience a higher CKD burden. Reduction in age-standardized mortality and global DALYs over time indicate progress, but deviations from this trend in some geographies present a call to action

Global Kidney Health Atlas: a spotlight on the Asia-Pacific sector

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a unique public health problem in terms of high expenses required for its management and its increasing worldwide incidence. Understanding the existing structure of CKD treatment and its epidemiology is pivotal for equitable kidney care globally. The Global Kidney Health Atlas (GKHA) was launched by the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) in 2017 as a part of its “Bridging the Gaps” strategy with a vision to understand the global kidney care capacity. Two rounds of GKHA surveys were conducted and published in 2017 and 2019, respectively. The GKHA surveys showed significant variability in kidney care among global regions. Asia is the largest of all continents and distinct for its heterogeneity. The Asia-Pacific sector comprises four main regional constructs of the ISN; North and East Asia, Oceania and South East Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East. Kidney care capacity varies among these regions in terms of government spending, epidemiology of kidney diseases, and workforce availability. In this narrative review, we highlight the differences in kidney care delivery among the regions of the Asia-Pacific sector based on information from GKHA and emphasize the priority areas on which stakeholders should concentrate their efforts