World Kidney Day emphasizes kidney health for all, preparing patients for emergencies
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This year, the theme of World Kidney Day is kidney health for all, and that the best way to support patients is to prepare for the unexpected.
As disastrous events occur around the globe, patients with kidney disease are especially vulnerable.
In a blog published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, Sean Pickthorn, MD, and Sabine Karam, MD, detail the impact that the war in Ukraine has had on kidney patients, as well as consequences of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
“For this year’s World Kidney Day, we aim more than ever to raise awareness of the importance of achieving sustainable global kidney health for the most vulnerable, and under all circumstances,” Pickthorn and Karam wrote. “This can only be attained through the elaboration and implementation of meticulously planned emergency preparedness plans.”
Plan for the unexpected
On the World Kidney Day website, it is suggested that governments include emergency preparedness plans in the management of noncommunicable diseases, and that health care services provide equitable access to care for patients during times of emergency. Additionally, patients should prepare an emergency kit of food, water, medical supplies and medical records.
Natural disasters and wars can displace patients and their supplies. However, pandemics, like COVID-19, can put patients at just as high of a risk. According to a special report published in Kidney International, public health emergency preparedness (PHEP) did not include kidney care, and those living with kidney disease experienced worse outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic than those without kidney disease. Further, according to the report, deaths among patients with kidney failure exceeded the expected numbers by 6,953 to 10,316 during the beginning of the pandemic.
“There is a real need for health care systems and jurisdictions to develop more resilient systems,” Li-Li Hsiao, MD, primary author of the report, and colleagues wrote. They concluded, “In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must continue to advocate for kidney disease to be included and integrated into preparedness plans, preemptively highlighting the importance of providing business-as-usual ongoing care for kidney patients during unexpected times.”
The World Kidney Day website calls for policymakers to adopt integrated health strategies that prioritize prevention, early detection and management of noncommunicable diseases, like kidney disease.
Kidney Month events
Although Kidney Month will come to an end in April, there are events throughout Kidney Month to raise awareness. NephU has compiled a calendar of events during Kidney and Nutrition Month, both of which occur in March.
Additionally, the Medical Education Institute will be hosting a webinar titled “Reframing Patient Behaviors” on March 9, at 8 p.m. EST. The townhall discussion will provide a platform for dialysis professionals to brainstorm ways to work collaboratively with patients on dialysis who have challenging behaviors.
References:
Kidney health for all: This World Kidney Day, thinking of the most vulnerable and preparing for the unforeseen. https://ajkdblog.org/2023/03/08/kidney-health-for-all-this-world-kidney-day-thinking-of-the-most-vulnerable-and-preparing-for-the-unforeseen/. Published March 8, 2023. Accessed March 8, 2023.
LL Hsuai, et al. Kidney Int. 2023; doi: 10.1016/j.kint.2022.12.013.
Registration: Reframing difficult patient behaviors. https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EIJtFq3MSceXL7Xcc-Brig. Accessed March 8, 2023.
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