Preventing Chronic Disease (Mar 2006)

Chronic Kidney Disease: A Public Health Problem That Needs a Public Health Action Plan

  • Anton C. Schoolwerth, MD, MSHA,
  • Michael M. Engelgau, MD,
  • Thomas H. Hostetter, MD,
  • Kathy H. Rufo, MPH,
  • Dolph Chianchiano, JD, MPA,
  • William M. McClellan, MD, MPH,
  • David G. Warnock, MD,
  • Frank Vinicor, MD

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 3, no. 2

Abstract

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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.

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