In 2000, chronic or unspecified renal failure was listed as a cause of death of 9160 Australians (7.1% of all deaths) (source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, special data request, 2002). Most would have had chronic renal impairment (CRI) for years. Each year, more than 1700 people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) start dialysis or receive a transplant.1 These figures suggest that the impact of CRI is substantial and that in order to prevent progression to ESRD we need to develop systems for its detection and management.
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Alan Cass receives PhD scholarship funding from the Colonial Foundation. Thanks to Dr Peter Arnold for his critical reading of the manuscript.
Alan Cass is the secretary of the Kidney Check Australia Taskforce, established by the Australian Kidney Foundation and the Australia and New Zealand Society of Nephrology.