An estimated one in nine Americans suffers some type of kidney disease, largely due to factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes which stem from poor diet, and all too often once it’s caught, it’s far too late. Additionally, in certain populations, such as the African-American and Native-American communities, these statistics are even more dire. One of the biggest obstacles for kidney disease sufferers and their loved ones is the financial toll it can take, especially when treatments like dialysis become a necessity and insurance doesn’t seem to cover enough.

The Dept. of Health and Human Services has typically not focused as many of its resources on helping combat kidney disease specifically, but the burgeoning numbers are proof that there is a desperate need for more attention. The department of Health and Human Services has recently announced the Kidney Innovation Accelerator, a public-private innovation fund that seeks to accelerate breakthroughs in kidney care. It also proposes better coordination among HHS, NIH, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services to help curtail any existing barriers to making more strides in the fight against kidney disease.

Cooperation between these government agencies is critical to helping combat kidney disease, as it effects every facet of a person’s life and requires a similarly expansive approach.