Prevention strategies for chronic kidney disease in Latin America: a strategy for the next decade--a report on the Villarica Conference.

Representatives from 19 Latin American countries gathered to report and deliberate on both the present and future implications of the growing epidemic of chronic kidney disease-as well as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension-and to define the role that national health systems need to adopt in order to cope with them. Country-by-country reports provided an excellent overview of the current state of health care in general and chronic diseases in particular. The meeting concluded with a consensus statement on the most urgent needs for the next decade.