Uruguay (Republica Oriental del Uruguay) is a South American country (3,505,985 inhabitants, area of 176,215 Km2) where renal replacement therapy for end-stage renal disease has been available for the entire population since 1980. The National Kidney Biopsy Registry was implemented in 1985, the National Renal Healthcare Program providing multidisciplinary care to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with chronic renal disease initiated in 2004, and in 2007 the National Integrated Health System (Sistema Nacional Integrado de Salud or SNIS for its Spanish acronym) was established. Nephrological care is widely available for the entire population. Acute and chronic hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and kidney transplantations are available throughout the country. All these treatments are under permanent quality control by health authorities. The Uruguayan Society of Nephrology and the National Resources Fund hold a mandatory registry on dialysis, whereas the Uruguayan Society of Transplantation maintains the Kidney Transplant Registry that includes all kidney transplants performed in the country. In Uruguay, there are 175 practicing nephrologists, 38 hemodialysis centers, 8 peritoneal dialysis centers, and 3 renal transplantation teams. In 2018, the prevalence of dialysis patients was 771 pmp (3069 on hemodialysis and 296 on peritoneal dialysis), and 461 pmp are living with a functioning kidney graft.
