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Kidney Disease in Singapore Falls Unevenly Across Ethnic Lines
SINGAPORE — Kidney disease has become a quiet but persistent threat in Singapore. New national figures show that the burden does not fall evenly across the population. Instead, it tracks closely with ethnicity, echoing long-standing patterns in diabetes and high blood pressure.
The latest National Population Health Survey estimates that 13.8 percent of residents aged 18 to 74 live with chronic kidney disease. Among Malays, the rate is the highest, at 19.0 percent. Indians follow at 14.6 percent. Chinese residents record the lowest prevalence, at 12.8 percent. Even so, the condition affects a large share of every group.
The divide becomes starker as the disease progresses. In 2021, the incidence of kidney failure was 670 cases per million among Malays. For Indians, it was 295 per million. For Chinese, 220 per million. These differences persist at the point of treatment.
In 2022, new dialysis starts reached 458 per million among Malays, compared with 183 per million among Indians and 150 per million among Chinese residents. The gap widens further when looking at those already living on dialysis. Malays recorded nearly 3,000 patients per million, more than double the rate among Indians (1,145 per million) and more than three times that of Chinese (906 per million).
Clinicians say the reasons are familiar. Diabetes and hypertension remain the strongest drivers of kidney failure. Both are more common, and often less well controlled, in certain communities. Obesity, diet, and late diagnosis add to the risk. Kidney disease often advances without symptoms, leaving little room for reversal once detected.
Singapore’s response has followed a well-worn path. Health authorities stress early screening, tight control of blood sugar and blood pressure, and steady follow-up. These measures are old, proven, and effective. But they require time, discipline, and access — and the data suggest uneven results.
In a country known for order and efficiency, kidney disease remains a slow-moving crisis. The statistics make one point clear. For some communities, the cost is far higher than for others.
SINGAPORE — Kidney disease has become a quiet but persistent threat in Singapore. New national figures show that the burden does not fall evenly across the population. Instead, it tracks closely with ethnicity, echoing long-standing patterns in diabetes and high blood pressure.
The latest National Population Health Survey estimates that 13.8 percent of residents aged 18 to 74 live with chronic kidney disease. Among Malays, the rate is the highest, at 19.0 percent. Indians follow at 14.6 percent. Chinese residents record the lowest prevalence, at 12.8 percent. Even so, the condition affects a large share of every group.
The divide becomes starker as the disease progresses. In 2021, the incidence of kidney failure was 670 cases per million among Malays. For Indians, it was 295 per million. For Chinese, 220 per million. These differences persist at the point of treatment.
In 2022, new dialysis starts reached 458 per million among Malays, compared with 183 per million among Indians and 150 per million among Chinese residents. The gap widens further when looking at those already living on dialysis. Malays recorded nearly 3,000 patients per million, more than double the rate among Indians (1,145 per million) and more than three times that of Chinese (906 per million).
Clinicians say the reasons are familiar. Diabetes and hypertension remain the strongest drivers of kidney failure. Both are more common, and often less well controlled, in certain communities. Obesity, diet, and late diagnosis add to the risk. Kidney disease often advances without symptoms, leaving little room for reversal once detected.
Singapore’s response has followed a well-worn path. Health authorities stress early screening, tight control of blood sugar and blood pressure, and steady follow-up. These measures are old, proven, and effective. But they require time, discipline, and access — and the data suggest uneven results.
In a country known for order and efficiency, kidney disease remains a slow-moving crisis. The statistics make one point clear. For some communities, the cost is far higher than for others.
