Economic impact of the chronic kidney disease: Perspective of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social

In Mexico, as in other parts of the world, end-stage renal disease (ESRD) constitutes a public health problem associated with high morbidity, mortality, costs and a diminished quality of life. The Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) attends to, approximately, 73% of the Mexican population requiring dialysis or transplant. In 2014, the treatment of ESRD represented 15% of the total annual expenditure of IMSS major program (Disease and Maternity Security), i.e. approximately $13 250 million Mexican pesos (MP); this expense was invested in only 0.8% of patients (those with ERSD). There are few economic evaluation studies showing the real cost of kidney replacement therapies from institution’s perspective. In order to reduce the global cost of ESRD, it is necessary to implement appropriate strategies of prevention, diagnosis and treatment to reduce incidence and progression of chronic kidney disease; to intensify research studies for a better understanding of etiological factors, mechanism of kidney damage progression and identification of new therapeutic agents; to create a national kidney disease registry, and to incorporate the economic evaluation methodology in the decision-making, in order to identify improved cost-benefit or cost-effective strategies.