Implementing the commitments of the World Health Assembly kidney health resolution: a key opportunity to improve health for millions.
Summary
Online ahead of print. Review Article Implementing the commitments of the World Health Assembly kidney health resolution: a key opportunity to improve health for millions. Tonelli M(1), Kalyesubula R(2), Tungsanga S(3), Francis A(4), Gill J(5), Lou-Meda R(6), Luyckx V(7), Bello A(8). Author information: (1)Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. Electronic address: cello@ucalgary.ca. (2)Department of Physiology and Department of Medicine
Content
# Online ahead of print.
*Review Article*
Implementing the commitments of the World Health Assembly kidney health
resolution: a key opportunity to improve health for millions.
Tonelli M(1), Kalyesubula R(2), Tungsanga S(3), Francis A(4), Gill J(5),
Lou-Meda R(6), Luyckx V(7), Bello A(8).
Author information:
(1)Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary,
Calgary, AB, Canada. Electronic address: cello@ucalgary.ca.
(2)Department of Physiology and Department of Medicine, Makerere University
College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda.
(3)Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University,
Bangkok, Thailand.
(4)School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia;
Department of Nephrology, Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD,
Australia.
(5)Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC,
Canada.
(6)Programa de Salud Renal, Ministerio de Salud Pública y Asistencia Social,
Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala; Foundation for Children with Kidney Diseases
(FUNDANIER), Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala.
(7)University Children's Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland;
European Kidney Health Alliance, Brussels, Belgium.
(8)Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Chronic kidney disease affects 850 million people worldwide and places a
disproportionate burden on low-income and middle-income countries where access
to timely diagnosis, treatment, and life-sustaining kidney replacement therapy
(KRT) is restricted. In May, 2025, the 78th World Health Assembly adopted a
resolution on kidney health that called on all member states to integrate kidney
care into national strategies; enhance prevention, early detection, and timely
management; strengthen primary care; expand access to KRT; and enhance capacity
for measuring burden, progress, and return on investment. These ambitious
commitments were followed by the Political Declaration of the UN High-Level
Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health. Capitalising on the opportunities created by
these two initiatives will depend on governance, political commitment, and
accountability, along with technical tools, appropriate funding, and mechanisms
to measure progress. This Health Policy offers a practical framework to help
governments and partners operationalise the commitments from the resolution and
political declaration, drawing on lessons from other non-communicable disease
programmes and on countries' experiences with kidney health policy.
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DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(26)00755-5