Emergency Proposal Announced to Protect Citizens from the Potential Risks of "Silent National Disease" CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) and Standardize Early Intervention System Nationwide
The Japan Public Affairs Association announced an emergency proposal to protect citizens from the potential risks of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Despite affecting 1 in 5 adults (approximately 20 million people), about 19 million remain undiagnosed or untreated. The proposal advocates for standardizing albuminuria testing in specific health checkups and expanding its insurance coverage. It also calls for strengthening national financial incentives for early intervention by local governments and insurers. These measures are expected to extend healthy life expectancy and ensure the sustainability of the social security system.
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- 📰 Published: April 6, 2026 at 21:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 6, 2026 at 12:30
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 16, 2026 at 00:36 (228h 6m after Collected)
The Japan Public Affairs Association (Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Hiroya Masuda) announced on Monday, April 6, 2026, a policy proposal titled "Emergency Proposal for Standardizing a Nationwide Early Intervention System to Protect Citizens from the Potential Risks of the 'Silent National Disease' CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) – Preventing Severe Progression in '19 Million Overlooked Individuals' through Optimization of Health Checkups, Insurance Coverage, and Comprehensive Support." The policy proposal is available on the Japan Public Affairs Association's website (https://www.j-paa.or.jp/policyproposal/1050/).
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) has become a new "national disease," affecting approximately 20 million people, or one in five adults. However, only about 666,000 people are actually receiving treatment, leaving approximately 19 million potential patients in an "undiagnosed and untreated"空白地帯 (blank zone). CKD is called a "silent disease" because it progresses without subjective symptoms, and once kidney function is lost, it is extremely difficult to recover. Ultimately, it can lead to dialysis, which involves a significant physical burden, and life-threatening cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction and stroke.
Currently, the "urine protein test strip method," which is mainstream in specific health checkups, has a sensitivity limit that can miss "microalbuminuria," an early stage of kidney damage. In contrast, albuminuria testing (UACR) can accurately detect high-risk individuals at a stage where conventional tests would show "no abnormalities."
In recent years, effective therapeutic drugs for progression suppression, such as SGLT2 inhibitors, have emerged. Early detection and intervention at the microalbuminuria stage not only protect an individual's quality of life but also directly lead to the suppression of dialysis medical expenses, which can reach over 5 million yen annually.
However, there are significant structural issues in the current national policies. Insurance coverage for albuminuria testing is, in principle, limited to diabetic patients, and the system is insufficient for early detection in "non-diabetic" patients with high blood pressure or aging. Furthermore, this test is not a mandatory item in specific health checkups, and severe progression prevention programs primarily focus on confirmed diabetic patients, creating a systemic gap in the "early detection" stage.
In light of this situation, this policy proposal makes the following three recommendations:
[Recommendations]
1. "Standardization" of albuminuria testing in specific health checkups
2. Drastic expansion of insurance coverage for albuminuria testing (UACR)
3. Strengthening national financial incentives for early intervention by local governments and insurers
Standardizing CKD countermeasures nationwide is expected to be positioned as a top-priority national strategy for extending the healthy life expectancy of citizens and ensuring the sustainability of Japan's social security system.
Our association will continue to promote the concept of "public affairs activities," which provide an open forum for discussion and policy consideration involving citizens, politicians, and administration. We will conduct discussions, research, and proposals to provide solutions that incorporate private sector vitality and wisdom for social issues that are difficult for government agencies alone to consider and implement.
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) has become a new "national disease," affecting approximately 20 million people, or one in five adults. However, only about 666,000 people are actually receiving treatment, leaving approximately 19 million potential patients in an "undiagnosed and untreated"空白地帯 (blank zone). CKD is called a "silent disease" because it progresses without subjective symptoms, and once kidney function is lost, it is extremely difficult to recover. Ultimately, it can lead to dialysis, which involves a significant physical burden, and life-threatening cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction and stroke.
Currently, the "urine protein test strip method," which is mainstream in specific health checkups, has a sensitivity limit that can miss "microalbuminuria," an early stage of kidney damage. In contrast, albuminuria testing (UACR) can accurately detect high-risk individuals at a stage where conventional tests would show "no abnormalities."
In recent years, effective therapeutic drugs for progression suppression, such as SGLT2 inhibitors, have emerged. Early detection and intervention at the microalbuminuria stage not only protect an individual's quality of life but also directly lead to the suppression of dialysis medical expenses, which can reach over 5 million yen annually.
However, there are significant structural issues in the current national policies. Insurance coverage for albuminuria testing is, in principle, limited to diabetic patients, and the system is insufficient for early detection in "non-diabetic" patients with high blood pressure or aging. Furthermore, this test is not a mandatory item in specific health checkups, and severe progression prevention programs primarily focus on confirmed diabetic patients, creating a systemic gap in the "early detection" stage.
In light of this situation, this policy proposal makes the following three recommendations:
[Recommendations]
1. "Standardization" of albuminuria testing in specific health checkups
2. Drastic expansion of insurance coverage for albuminuria testing (UACR)
3. Strengthening national financial incentives for early intervention by local governments and insurers
Standardizing CKD countermeasures nationwide is expected to be positioned as a top-priority national strategy for extending the healthy life expectancy of citizens and ensuring the sustainability of Japan's social security system.
Our association will continue to promote the concept of "public affairs activities," which provide an open forum for discussion and policy consideration involving citizens, politicians, and administration. We will conduct discussions, research, and proposals to provide solutions that incorporate private sector vitality and wisdom for social issues that are difficult for government agencies alone to consider and implement.
FAQ
What is the purpose of the emergency proposal announced by the Japan Public Affairs Association?
To protect citizens from the potential risks of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and standardize the early intervention system nationwide.
What are the main measures proposed?
Standardization of albuminuria testing in specific health checkups, drastic expansion of insurance coverage for albuminuria testing, and strengthening national financial incentives for early intervention by local governments and insurers.