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Diabetes and its role in kidney failure in South Africa
The Star
|September 12, 2025
FRESH concerns have emerged about the impact of lifestyle-related illnesses on kidney health.
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According to the South African Renal Registry's 2022 Annual Report, the number of patients receiving dialysis or transplants rose from 8 866 in 2021 to 9 342 by the end of 2022.
While this increase highlights the escalating need for treatment, access remains deeply unequal.
The registry notes that prevalence in the private sector stands at 771 per million people, compared to just 45 per million in the public sector.
Wthin state hospitals, access is rationed, with strict eligibility criteria often excluding those with severe comorbidities or substance use issues.
For many, survival depends on affording costly private care.
The National Kidney Foundation of South Africa (NKFSA) reports that kidney failure in adults is largely driven by inherited hypertension (60-65%) and type 2 diabetes (20-25%).
This story is from the September 12, 2025 edition of The Star.
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