How to advocate for the inclusion of chronic kidney disease in a national noncommunicable chronic disease program

Many countries are developing or refining national strategies for noncommunicable chronic disease (NCD) prevention and control. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a cause and consequence of other NCDs; CKD acts as a risk multiplier for all four key NCDs as specified by the World Health Organization; CKD is associated with high health-care costs; CKD is readily identifiable; and treatment of CKD is cost-effective and improves outcomes. These observations argue in favor of including CKD in national NCD programs. The purpose of this article is to outline key steps in advocating for the inclusion of CKD in national NCD strategies. © 2014 International Society of Nephrology.