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SUPPORT WORLD KIDNEY DAY 13 MARCH 2008 – AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The ISN and IFKF call upon individual nephrologists and all national nephrology societies and kidney foundations to act now and support World Kidney Day on 13 March 2008.

As the lead organizations in this global effort to raise awareness of kidney diseases it is essential that every individual member and national body associated with the ISN and IFKF assumes his or her responsibility to educate general physicians and primary healthcare professionals and officials.

What can you do to support World Kidney Day and make a difference?

Individual members/nephrologists
National nephrology societies/associations
National kidney foundations

Individual members/nephrologists – act now and support World Kidney Day

• Undertake to meet personally, face-to-face, at least ONE general physician or primary healthcare worker in your community to explain:
  • Why the kidney is a risk marker with regard to other chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and chronic vascular diseases.
  • Why it is vital to understand the various stages of CKD and the related prognostic and therapeutic implications.
  • Why it is important to carry out simple urine protein or microalbumin level and blood serum creatinine tests in patients at risk. CKD is the risk multiplier for adverse outcomes and costs.
  • Why it would be useful to test patients’ urine and serum creatinine as an automatic health verification reflex (as with testing blood pressure).
  • What needs to be done in stages 1 and 2 CKD versus stages 3 and 4.
  • What are the implications when kidney impairment goes undetected.
  • When to refer a patient to a nephrologist. Stage 4 is the time to refer individuals with CKD since the treatment intensifies and the transitional issues for renal replacement therapy (RRT) need to be discussed

One such meeting on Thursday 13 March 2008 will make a great contribution to raising general awareness amongst professional colleagues. Several meetings will make an even more significant difference.

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National nephrology societies/associations - act now and support World Kidney Day

• Advertise and promote World Kidney Day and its purpose amongst your members through all available outlets (websites, newsletters, journals)
• Distribute a press release amongst key national media to advertise the purpose of World Kidney Day (the 2007 international press release is posted on the "media corner" of this website).
• Encourage all your individual members to conduct personal meetings, as detailed under individual members/nephrologists.
• Undertake to educate your national physicians’ society and/or significant healthcare groups to explain the above mentioned points. Actions could include:
  • Arranging a meeting with the association’s/group’s leadership to start the education process and program of cooperation.
  • Writing a news item for their society newsletter and/website – for publication on World Kidney Day for maximum impact.
  • Organizing a workshop/seminar for their members on kidney disease, to be held at a central location on 13 March.
  • Writing a paper for publication within their scientific journal.
  • Ensuring a representative from nephrology is invited to speak during their annual congress (as a recurring invitation).
• Report your actions to ISN for publication on this official WKD website and in ISN news (and provide photos where possible).
• Spend time securing vital national statistics on kidney disease to support future WKD campaigns towards health ministers. These statistics should also be sent to info@worldkidneyday.org to help to provide fuel to future global campaigns.

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National kidney foundations - act now and support World Kidney Day

• Advertise and promote World Kidney Day on your website.
• Distribute a press release amongst key national media to advertise the purpose of World Kidney Day (the 2007 global press release will soon be posted on this website).
• Identify a national “champion” – preferably a well-known figure with kidney disease – to act as an advocate for WKD campaigns.
• Arrange for a radio/TV or printed press interview with a leading national nephrologist and a kidney patient to discuss the need for (and means for) early detection.
• Meet with government officials and members of the legislative bodies showing why CKD is a major problem for your country as well as others. Prevention (early detection, diagnosis and treatment) is the key action to promote.
• Arrange community walks, runs and other activities to promote WKD.
• Compile individual stories or case studies from families affected by CKD and show the implications.
• Invite key spokespeople/celebrities to promote WKD in the media.
• Develop awareness campaigns using the slogans “Are your kidneys OK?” or “Get to know your kidneys” and stress that CKD can be detected early and treated, thereby reducing other complications.
• Set up free programs for urine protein detection at government functions or other types of events.