Peritoneal Dialysis Market: Growth, Size, Share, and Trends

OPPORTUNITIES: Increasing growth opportunities in emerging economies

Consideration of the emerging markets such as China, India, and Brazil will open up exceptional growth opportunities to the players operating in the peritoneal dialysis market. It is because these markets are showing an increased prevalence of diabetes and CKD. Continued expansion in economic growth in China and India coincides with increased expenditure on healthcare; hence, this enhances the affordability of peritoneal dialysis treatment. Concerning the growth opportunities for ESRD, as of an article written by BMC Nephrology in 2023, ESRD prevalence across China is anticipated to reach 1,505 patients per million population by 2025. To address the increasing demand for dialysis from the emerging market, the players aim at acquiring or partnering with healthcare providers in a bid to enter into a partnership. For instance, on December 2021, Baxter International Inc., US made an acquisition of all outstanding equity interest of Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc., a global leader in medical technology. Medtronic and DaVita in April 2023, launched Mozarc Medical-an independent new company that helps reshape kidney health, driving patient-centered tech solutions. Also, the rise in the number of dialysis clinics across emerging nations may also have an excellent growth prospect for the peritoneal dialysis market. Initiatives taken by the government, which include increased investment in health infrastructure, as well as providing subsidies for treatment costs across the emerging economies to enhance access to healthcare services such as dialysis, are likely to enhance market growth opportunities. The Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP), under which dialysis will be provided free of cost at the district hospitals across the country to BPL beneficiaries. Of the PMNDP beneficiaries up to 31 December 2022, about 1.7 million recipients were covered in terms of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis services.

CHALLENGES: Shortage of skilled nephrologists in low-income and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs)

Low- and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs) are actually experiencing an alarming shortfall of skilled nephrologists, which has impacted kidney care services negatively. The global median prevalence of nephrologists stands at 11.8 per million population, although this figure is very broadly dispersed across regions and different levels of income. Africa has the lowest count at 1.1 pRMR, while South Asia indicates a number as low as 1.8 pmp, followed by OSEA, at 3.2 pmp. Other countries in the list are probable to have the least percentage of nephrologists; they include Afghanistan at 0.03 PMP, Malawi at 0.05 pmp, and Mozambique at 0.09 pmp. A great number of countries also have no nephrologists present within them, and among such countries is Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Andorra. Nephrologist trainees are also not spared, with LICS attaining a median prevalence as low as 0.1 pmp and LMICS reaching 0.3 pmp, whereas the figure was 1.3 Rmp in upper-middle-income countries (UMICs) and 3.9 pmp in high-income countries (HICs). In LICS, nephrologists shortfalls are very severe at 90%, and pediatric nephrologists shortfalls are severe at 95%. Shortfalls of transplant surgeons stay at 90%. Specialists who provide access to HD and PD are at100% and 90% respectively. These shortfalls are worse in the poorer regions where scarcity of training facilities and resources heightens the situation.

There is a very paucity of trained nephrologists, and proper education programs tailored for the branch of nephrology are also limited in number. All these contribute to bigger consequences with dialysis treatment and health outcomes. Improving kidney care outcomes along with the reduction of burden caused due to kidney diseases can be obtained by addressing these shortages in resource-deficient settings.