How Big is the Hemodialysis Industry in the Philippines

An Overview of the Hemodialysis Industry

Over 2 million people worldwide currently receive treatment with dialysis or a kidney transplant to stay alive, yet this number may only represent 10% of people who actually need treatment to live. Of the 2 million people who receive treatment for kidney failure, the majority are treated in only five countries – the United States, Japan, Germany, Brazil, and Italy. These five countries represent only 12% of the world population. Only 20% are treated in about 100 developing countries that make up over 50% of the world population.

About 2,000,000 people are receiving hemodialysis worldwide.

End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is a major public health problem in many countries. In the United States, ESRD affects over 660,000 people and costs the healthcare system over $50 billion annually. In Canada, there are over 20,000 people living with ESRD, and the annual cost of dialysis is over $2 billion.

It is estimated that number of cases of kidney failure will increase disproportionately in developing countries, such as China and India, where the number of elderly people are increasing. In middle-income countries, treatment with dialysis or kidney transplantation creates a huge financial burden for the majority of the people who need it. In another 112 countries, many people cannot afford treatment at all, resulting in the death of over 1 million people annually from untreated kidney failure.

In the Philippines, approximately 70,000 patients are currently receiving hemodialysis. This is estimated to be only 1/3 of the actual number of patients who should be receiving dialysis care. Dialysis is a lifesaving treatment, but it is expensive and requires a significant time and financial commitment from patients. In developed countries, the cost of dialysis is typically covered by government health insurance programs such as PhilHealth. Hemodialysis is currently the biggest single case-rate spender of PhilHealth amounting to about $ 250 million every year and is expected to grow by 7% annually.