The slogan for this year’s World Kidney Day is Donate – Kidneys for Life – Receive, which focuses on the positive outcomes of kidney transplantation and the life-saving aspect of organ donation. Kidney transplantation is arguably the best treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and is associated with improved quality of life, reduced mortality and morbidity when compared to peritoneal or haemodialysis. Singapore has an active deceased donor and living donor kidney transplantation program. However, both waitlist and wait-time are long due to scarcity of suitable organs available for transplantation. The median wait-time for deceased donor kidney transplantation is 9 years, compared to an average of 3 to 5 years in the United States, Australia, or the United Kingdom. The United States Renal Data System (USRDRS) 2010 Annual Data Report showed that Singapore’s prevalent transplant rate was higher than Australia (332/pmp), Denmark (300/pmp), and New Zealand (301/pmp) but was lower than Hong Kong (442/pmp), Norway (572/pmp), and the USA (545/ pmp). Public education and awareness promotions may help improve transplantation rates and provide the most appropriate therapy for suitable ESRD patients.
This article is available only as a PDF. Please click on “Download PDF” on top to view the full article.
