Baxter Malaysia Launches Campaign to Highlight the Importance of Early Screening to Tackle the Growing Burden of Kidney Disease in Malaysia

Baxter Malaysia, a global leader in dialysis care, has launched the Know Your Score campaign across Asia Pacific (APAC) on World Kidney Day.

Know Your Score aims to educate the public on their kidney score as a gauge of their kidney health, reinforcing the idea that “knowing your score can save your life”. The score is measured through the Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) test, a simple blood test that quantifies kidney health. This simple number – like cholesterol and blood pressure measurements – indicates if a patient needs further check-ups and helps to prevent disease progression.

Professor Dr Abdul Halim Abdul Gafor, Senior Consultant Nephrologist in Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre and President of Malaysian Society of Nephrology, said: “kidney disease is on the rise and continues to be a major public health problem in Malaysia. It is often referred to as a ‘silent-killer’ and only five per cent of people with CKD are aware they have the disease. People may not know they are experiencing loss in kidney function until they developed symptoms at the end stage. Early screening for high-risk group especially those with diabetes, and hypertension is important for early intervention to delay the progression of the disease. It is important to manage the CKD as early as possible so the patient can live life uninterrupted without the need of dialysis or any forms of kidney replacement therapy for years.”

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Know Your Score emphasizes the need for routine testing to detect and prevent CKD, especially among those who are suffering from hypertension and /or diabetes. It also encourages the public to learn more about kidney scores and lifestyle tips to prevent kidney disease, by visiting My Kidney Journey, a dedicated website providing information about the kidney health and CKD care.

The prevalence of CKD has increased from 9.1% in the 2011 National Health and Morbidity survey to 15.5% in 2018. The number of Malaysians require kidney replacement therapy is increasing and diabetes is the leading cause for end stage kidney failure in the country. The Malaysian Dialysis and Transplant Registry reported that 8,431 new patients received dialysis in 2018 and by the end of 2018 there were 44,136 patients on dialysis. The number of ESKD patients is estimated to reach 51,000 in 2020 and 106,000 in 2040. This burden will cost the health care system an estimated RM1.5 billion and RM3.2 billion respectively.

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“Baxter is committed to reduce the occurrence of CKD through raising awareness of early testing.  As we mark World Kidney Day across the globe, Baxter emphasises early testing, as knowing your score can be lifesaving. Patients diagnosed early can adapt their lifestyle and learn to manage their condition, thus avoiding or postponing the need for dialysis or transplant. Today we reiterate our commitment to collaborating with physicians across the entire continuum of care, from prevention and early detection of CKD to kidney failure care,” said Andrew Frye, President of Baxter Asia Pacific.

“Over the last 37 years in Malaysia, Baxter has been partnering with nephrologists and nurses to offer a higher level of care through patient-centric solutions and drive awareness on CKD and kidney treatment options. Early screening and management are important not just to delay the progression, but also allow the patient to take active role in their ongoing kidney journey to identify the best treatment that suits them. “Know Your Score” campaign is another positive stride from us in helping the healthcare professionals and patients to bridge the gap for better kidney care,” said George Kazzi, General Manager of Baxter Healthcare Malaysia.

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