Abstract. With the epidemic rise of ESRD in multiple regions of the world, there is an urgent need to implement programs to address this increasing burden of kidney disease. We illustrate a public health approach using the program of the National Kidney Foundation of Singapore that incorporates stepwise primary, secondary, and tertiary strategies for prevention. Components of the program include an aggressive public education program, routine surveillance for kidney disease and associated chronic diseases, the implementation of a disease management program to improve physician practice patterns, and the provision of comprehensive services in the community through a network of Prevention Centers designed to optimize the care of patients at risk for kidney disease. Finally, an equally important aspect is the clinical and epidemiologic research component, because this will provide clear benchmarks to determine the program's effect on ESRD as well as generate information that can be used to identify future directions for this evolving program.The rising annual incidence of ESRD in many countries of the world (1), its profound effect on morbidity and mortality, and the escalating health care costs associated with it have promoted the development of strategies aimed at preventing the development and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). These include population-based and high risk screening programs (2,3), the initiation of public education campaigns targeted at improving public awareness of kidney disease and its consequences (4), and the dissemination of evidence-based guidelines for the approach to CKD (5). Current clinical recommendations for several components of kidney disease prevention are based on consensus expert opinion rather than on clinical trial data (5). In addition, many of these programs are in the early stages of implementation and thus, the cumulative effectiveness of these independent interventions remains to be seen. Similarly, in Singapore, a program for the prevention of kidney failure is still in its infancy. Nevertheless, given its integrated public health and community-based approach, with components of screening, early detection, and early intervention, as well as the country's small size and unique logistical and demographic advantages, the NKF Singapore Prevention Program merits consideration.The National Kidney Foundation Singapore (NKFS), the largest charitable organization in the country, is responsible for providing subsidized dialysis care to over 60% of the country's total ESRD population (6). The Prevention Program, components of which were initiated in 1997, has a long-term goal of effecting a plateau in the rising incidence of ESRD in the country based on a framework of the natural history of kidney disease development and progression. It incorporates stepwise primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention approaches to intervene at various stages of kidney disease and associated chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension (7). This report describes ...