The Inequalities in Health Alliance (IHA) is a coalition of more than 250 organisations, convened by the RCP, which campaigns for a cross-government strategy to reduce health inequalities. This blog post from Kidney Research UK is part of a series by IHA member organisations.
Health is a human right. And yet, in the UK – one of the richest nations in the world and with healthcare free at the point of delivery – access to good kidney health is not equally available to all.
This stark reality and what it means for patients with kidney disease is set out in Kidney Research UK’s review of health inequalities, published in July. The report brings together evidence from people affected by kidney disease, health professionals and researchers. It sets out recommendations for the research community, and priorities to move us towards equitable kidney health for all.
In the UK more than 7.2 million people – 10% of the population – are living with kidney disease, and many of these will be undiagnosed and unaware. The number of cases in the UK is growing, due in part to increased prevalence of risk factors such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity.
Kidney health inequalities – key findings
- South Asian adults develop kidney disease younger than White adults; people from low socioeconomic groups are more likely to develop the disease
- People of Black, Asian or mixed heritage are more likely to progress to kidney failure than people of White heritage; people under 70 living in deprivation are more than twice as likely to progress to kidney failure than those in more affluent areas; more men than women start treatment for kidney failure; mental health conditions are associated with faster disease progression and worse outcomes for people with kidney disease
- Older people are less likely to be placed on the waiting list for a transplant; people from minority ethnic communities wait longer for a transplant.
The report opens with a foreword from Professor Bola Owolabi, director of the National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme for NHS England, that endorses the call for policy and decision makers to work together and with vulnerable communities, to build trust and make changes. Bola writes: ‘All of us can contribute something to the solution, and we must all embrace our agency to act’.
This new report is a review of progress made in the research, healthcare and policy spaces since the charity’s 2018 publication ‘Kidney health inequalities in the United Kingdom’ highlighted multiple aspects of inequality.
Kidney Research UK has been working to understand and act on this issue since 2001. This led to the launch of our evidence-based and multi-award-winning ‘peer educator’ initiative, which engages with under-represented communities – recognising that trust, inclusion and cultural relevance are essential for effective health education, promotion and intervention.
Priorities
The report sets out a series of priorities, under three themes – Prevent, Protect and Treat. These priorities highlight the importance of interventions that allow and enable people from all communities to have access to advice, support to look after their kidney health, and better screening, treatment and transplant choices.
This piece is part of a series of guest blog posts by members of the Inequalities in Health Alliance.