Japan's Support of Hemodialysis in Southeast Asia

With continuing economic development in the developing countries of Southeast Asia, the numbers of dialysis facilities and patients are increasing every year. However, dialysis-related devices tend to be provided with financial support from developed countries and/or donations from nonprofit organizations, and some donated devices are disposed of, without attempts at repair, when they break down. Device management and dialysate quality can also be problematic.

To help address these issues, Japan started to provide technical guidance and support for dialysate purification in these countries. As a result, dialysate quality improved and local medical staff can now perform dialysis therapy using purified dialysate. At the same time, education was provided to staff, and their improved knowledge and skills have contributed to appropriate device maintenance, ensuring the dialysate used is of sufficient quality. Currently, approaches for human resource development are being actively provided in these countries through cooperation with local academic societies or other organizations in the field. Key Messages: A review of the current status of management of dialysis-related devices and dialysate quality in developing countries reveals that financial support and donations for medical devices alone are insufficient and the development of local human resources is crucial. Nurturing and training of clinical engineers, who directly operate today's advanced medical devices for patients, as well as device maintenance and management are urgent issues to address.