End-stage kidney disease

End-stage kidney disease (ESKD), also known as end-stage renal disease or kidney failure, is the fifth, and most severe stage of chronic kidney disease [45030]. People with ESKD must either have regular dialysis (use a machine that filters the blood) or have a kidney transplant to stay alive [41038][39742]. These treatments are known as kidney replacement therapy [45031].

ESKD is more common among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people than non-Indigenous people, as is hospitalisation for the condition [41038]. This is particularly true for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in remote and very remote areas.

Initiatives such as the National Indigenous Kidney Transplantation Taskforce have been established to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients with end-stage kidney disease by facilitating improved access to the kidney transplant waiting list.