Epidemiological profile of end-stage chronic kidney disease in the Rabat-Salé-Kenitra Region (Morocco): An analysis of patient characteristics and care organization

Context :End-stage chronic kidney disease (ESKD) is a major public health challenge in Morocco. Objective: Describe the epidemiological characteristics and causes of ESKD in hemodialysis patients from the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region, analyze the organization of care, and identify associated factors. Methodology:A retrospective, descriptive, and analytical study based on data collected from 14 public centers. It includes the 318 patients receiving hemodialysis sessions in 2024. Results The medical staff consists of 16 nephrologists and 8 general practitioners, 85 nurses and 36 nurse assistants. The gender distribution of the study population is approximately equally balanced between men (50.6%) and women (49.4%), with a preponderance of older patients: 73.3% are age 65 years or older. A total of 86 new cases of ESKD were observed in the cohort during 2024 (incidence rate, 27%), and mortality attained 15.7% (50 deaths). The main known causes of ESKD are hypertension (22%) and diabetes (19.5%), yet a large proportion (33.3%) is of unknown cause. Conclusion Better organization of centers, a rational use of resources and increased social coverage are needed to improve the management of ESKD disease. “Next steps would be to improve screening and preventative interventions, but there also needs to be better characterization of the causes so that both quality of life and mortality can improve for these patients.