Providing "Free" Access to Dialysis and Transplant to the Disfranchised. A Sustainable Model for Low and Low Middle Income Countries (LMICs)

Pakistan is a low-middle income country where incidence of End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) is 100-150 per million population (pmp). Paucity and high costs of renal replacement therapy (RRT) renders the majority disfranchised, since the dialysis rate is 15 pmp and the transplant rate is 4-5 pmp. In view of this, our center started an integrated dialysis and transplant program where all treatment is provided "Free of Cost" to all patients, with lifelong follow-up and medications. The model is based on the concept of community-government partnership funded by both partners. The annual contribution in 2021 was $37.4 million. >1,500 patients were dialyzed daily, and 6-8 received transplants weekly. Of the 6,553 transplants performed between 1985-2021, 988 (15%) were children. Overall, the 1 and 5-year graft survival rate was 97% and 88%. The donor clinic has 3,786 donors in regular yearly follow-up for up to 30-35 years where ESKD prevalence is 0.29%. Access to dialysis was increased by establishing six satellite centers reducing patient time and travel costs. Cost reductions by dialyzer reuse and generic drugs resulted in an annual saving of $5.8 m. This sustainable model has overcome the inherent socio-economic, logistic, cultural, and gender biases in RRT in LMICs. It has provided RRT with equity to the disfranchised in Pakistan and can be replicated in other LMICs with community-government support.