KUCHING: Malaysia is facing a looming public health crisis as chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal failure (ESRF) cases continue to climb at an alarming rate, says Dr William Luong Chau.
The consultant nephrologist and medical director of Normah Medical Specialist Centre (NMSC) said Malaysia is now spending billions annually on haemodialysis therapy – a figure that has ballooned from RM572 million in 2010 to RM3.3 billion today, based on data from the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy.
He said an estimated 15 perc ent of Malaysians – about five million people – suffer from some form of CKD, yet only five per cent are aware of their condition due to the disease’s silent progression.
“CKD is a silent killer. It rarely shows symptoms until stages four or five,” he said, warning that an average of 28 Malaysians now develop kidney failure daily, requiring life-saving dialysis treatment.
Malaysia now has one of the highest rates of end-stage renal failure (ESRF) in the world, largely due to the prevalence of diabetes, which accounts for approximately 75 per cent of kidney failure cases.
More than 10,000 Malaysians are diagnosed with ESRF every year. If the trend continues, the Ministry of Health projects over 106,000 dialysis patients by 2040.
Dr Luong explained the different types of renal replacement therapies available, including various haemodialysis modalities such as intermittent, continuous, and home dialysis, as well as peritoneal dialysis and kidney transplantation.
He noted that while peritoneal dialysis is increasingly being adopted in Malaysia due to the limited availability of haemodialysis slots in hospitals, renal transplantation remains underutilised owing to donor shortages despite ongoing efforts to promote living-related donations.
“The ultimate goal of renal replacement therapy is to ensure treatment adequacy, maintain patient well-being, and achieve fluid and electrolyte balance,” said Dr Luong.
He further stressed the importance of early detection, education, and infrastructure investment to manage the growing burden of kidney disease in Malaysia.
