Increasing Canadian wildfires jeopardize critical care for dialysis patients

In the midst of another intense wildfire season, a new study sheds light on the risks they pose to life-sustaining dialysis care for thousands of Canadians.

In a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary project conducted by McGill researchers from the Departments of Medicine and Geography, the team led a national wildfire risk assessment focused on Canadian dialysis facilities. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the team integrated dialysis facility locations with historical wildfire records and current fire danger data to identify communities and patients at greatest risk.

The survival of patients on dialysis depends on complex community and health system structures to deliver this therapy to patients several times a week."

Dr. Shaifali Sandal, Senior Author, Associate Professor in McGill's Department of Medicine and Scientist at the Research Institute, McGill University Health Center

Dialysis is typically delivered multiple times a week and depends on uninterrupted availability of equipment, electricity, large quantities of clean water, trained personnel and transportation, she added.

Two-thirds of patients at risk

Published in Kidney International Reports, the analysis mapped 341 dialysis facilities serving more than 23,000 Canadians who receive in-centre hemodialysis.

About 30 per cent of facilities were estimated to have been located within five kilometres of at least one recorded wildfire over the past three decades. Based on current conditions, 64 per cent of facilities are found in areas classified as high, very high or extreme wildfire risk. These facilities serve two-thirds of Canadians receiving in-centre hemodialysis. "Poor air quality can further harm our patients" she added.

Bridging climate and health science

The findings come as Canada experiences increasingly severe wildfire seasons. In 2023, more than 15 million hectares burned nationwide, making it the worst wildfire season in recorded Canadian history.

Collaborations such as this one – spanning health care, geography and climate science – will become increasingly important for emergency planning as climate change reshapes public health risks, the authors note.

The team is now exploring how this risk-mapping approach could be used to assess other climate-related hazards.

About the study

"Geographical Information Systems–Based Wildfire Risk Analysis of Canadian Dialysis Facilities" by Daniel McCollin, Raja Sengupta and Shaifali Sandal was published in Kidney International Reports.

Financial contribution from Health Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Health Canada.