Kidney Health for All: Caring for People, Protecting the Planet

Abstract

The current kidney care model—focused on late-stage disease 
and in-center hemodialysis—is unsustainable, because of costs, 
environmental burden, poor outcomes, and reduced quality of 
life. The 78th World Health Assembly’s recognition of kidney 
disease as a serious health threat presents a critical opportunity 
to reshape kidney care. Aligned with this, the 2026 World 
Kidney Day theme, “Kidney Health for All: Caring for People, 
Protecting the Planet,” calls for a systematic change. A sustainable 
model must prioritize early detection and prevention, reducing 
the need for kidney replacement therapy. Transplantation and 
home dialysis benefit people with kidney failure, environment, 
and society. Dialysis itself must become more ecofriendly 
without compromising care quality, recognizing that planetary 
perturbations in turn affect kidney health. Conservative care 
should also be considered, particularly for elderly and frail 
patients, if the quality-of-life benefits outweigh the perspectives 
offered by dialysis. Achieving this shift requires coordinated 
action across all stakeholders; education and engagement of the 
public, policy makers, and health professionals to raise awareness 
about the threat of kidney disease; and an urgent move toward 
patient-centered care.