Ask Congress to support increased funding for kidney disease

Kidney disease — the 10th leading cause of death in the United States — is the fastest-growing noncontagious disease in the country.

There are 37 million Americans living with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and there are millions more who are at risk of developing CKD.

Nearly 810,000 Americans are living with kidney failure (end-stage renal disease or ESRD), which requires dialysis or a kidney transplant. It is a life-altering condition that comes with enormous physical and emotional burdens.

Nearly 570,000 Americans are on dialysis Nearly 240,000 Americans are living with a kidney transplant

There are 92,000 Americans on the kidney transplant waiting list (as of February 2022), but in 2021, just 25,490 — or about 1 in 5 — were able to get a kidney. There were 5,971 living donor transplants performed in the U.S. last year.

In the past ten years, kidney failure cases have grown more than 35%. Studies project that the number of people living with kidney failure will increase by about 200,000–500,000 by 2030, resulting in a million people being on dialysis in just 7 years.[1] Kidney disease is nearing a crisis point in our nation. We need better treatment options and ultimately, a cure.

The kidney community has banded together to request $52.6 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It is a $3.465 billion increase over the comparable FY 2023 funding level, which will allow the NIH's base budget to keep pace with the biomedical research and development price index (BRDPI). We are advocating for at least $168 million of the NIH increase to be allotted to the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

Additionally, we are requesting $25 million for KidneyX for FY24. The KidneyX Innovation Accelerator is a public/private partnership between the American Society of Nephrology and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The partnership's goal is to drive innovation in the diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases by identifying promising technologies through competitions and awarding funding to the winners. The $25 million will match funds provided through private funds.

Please contact your federal representatives and ask them to support a $3.465 billion increase over the comparable FY 2023 funding level and KidneyX at $25 million in the FY 2024, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.

Please contact your Legislators and ask that they vote for this important legislation.

[1] Keith P. McCullough, Hal Morgenstern, Rajiv Saran, William H. Herman, & Bruce M. Robinson (2019). Projecting ESRD Incidence and Prevalence in the United States through 2030. JASN, 30 (1) 127-135. https://jasn.asnjournals.org/content/30/1/127