Global Kidney Nutrition Care and Health Literacy: Overcoming the Disparities in Renal Nutrition Service Capacity and Education
More than three-quarters of a billion adults have chronic kidney disease (CKD) worldwide; and data suggest that by 2040, CKD will become the fifth leading cause of death globally.1 Whereas effective pharmacotherapy is important to slow disease progression in early and late CKD, also known as secondary and tertiary prevention,2 nutritional and dietary interventions are among core components of kidney care.3,4 Given the enormous burden of kidney disease, combined with global disparities in kidney care and poor outcomes of kidney failure, the World Kidney Day joint steering committee has declared 2022 as the year of health literacy and education in kidney care with the motto “Kidney Health for All–Bridging the Gap in Kidney Health Education and Literacy.”5 Improving health literacy in kidney care enables better access to and utilization of kidney health services with worldwide accessibility of nutrition care for kidney disease as an important goal, given that optimal nutrition has a profound impact on kidney health and survival.