Editorial
Kidney health for all: bridging the gap in kidney health education and literacy
Robyn G. Langham, Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh, Ann Bonner, Alessandro Balducci, Li-Li Hsiao, Latha A. Kumaraswami, Paul Laffin, Vassilios Liakopoulos, Gamal Saadi, Ekamol Tantisattamo, Ifeoma Ulasi and Siu-Fai Lui for the World Kidney Day Joint Steering Committee
Volume 97 (2022) p. 195 - 205
Abstract
Clinical Nephrology, Vol. 97 – No. 4/2022 (195-205) ©2022 Dustri-Verlag Dr. K. Feistle ISSN 0301-0430 DOI 10.5414/
Kidney health for all: bridging the gap in kidney health education and literacy
Robyn G. Langham1, Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh2, Ann Bonner3, Alessandro Balducci4, Li-Li Hsiao5, Latha A. Kumaraswami6, Paul Laffin7, Vassilios Liakopoulos8, Gamal Saadi9, Ekamol Tantisattamo2, Ifeoma Ulasi10 and Siu-Fai Lui11 for the World Kidney Day Joint Steering Committee12
1St. Vincent’s Hospital, Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2Division of Nephrology, Hypertension and Kidney Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, California, USA, 3School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia, 4Italian Kidney Foundation, Rome, Italy, 5Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 6Tamilnad Kidney Research (TANKER) Foundation, The International Federation of Kidney Foundations-World Kidney Alliance (IFKF-WKA), Chennai, India, 7International Society of Nephrology, Brussels, Belgium, 8Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, 1st Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece, 9Nephrology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt, 10Renal Unit, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria, 11International Federation of Kidney Foundations – World Kidney Alliance, The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China, and 12The World Kidney Day Joint Steering Committee as listed in the Appendix
The high burden of kidney disease, global disparities in kidney care, and poor outcomes of kidney failure bring a concomitant growing burden to persons affected, their families, and carers, and the community at large. Health literacy is the degree to which persons and organizations have or equitably enable individuals to have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to make informed health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others. Rather than viewing health literacy as a patient deficit, improving health literacy largely rests with health care providers communicating and educating effectively in codesigned partnership with those with kidney disease. For kidney policy makers, health literacy provides the imperative to shift organizations to a culture that places the person at the center of health care. The growing capability of and access to technology provides new opportunities to enhance education and awareness of kidney disease for all stakeholders. Advances in telecommunication, including social media platforms, can be leveraged to enhance persons’ and providers’ education; The World Kidney Day declares 2022 as the year of “Kidney Health for All” to promote global teamwork in advancing strategies in bridging the gap in kidney health education and literacy. Kidney organizations should work toward shifting the patient-deficit health literacy narrative to that of being the responsibility of health care providers and health policy makers. By engaging in and supporting kidney health-centered policy making, community health planning, and health literacy approaches for all, the kidney communities strive to prevent kidney diseases and enable living well with kidney disease.Correspondence to:
Robyn G. Langham, MBBS, PhD
University of Melbourne
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Email: [email protected]
Editorial
Mind the gap in kidney care: Translating what we know into what we do
Valerie A. Luyckx, Katherine R. Tuttle, Dina Abdellatif, Ricardo Correa-Rotter, Winston W.S. Fung, Agnès Haris, Li-Li Hsiao, Makram Khalife, Latha A. Kumaraswami, Fiona Loud, Vasundhara Raghavan, Stefanos Roumeliotis, Marianella Sierra, Ifeoma Ulasi, Bill Wang, Siu-Fai Lui, Vassilios Liakopoulos, Alessandro Balducci; for the World Kidney Day Joint Steering Committee
Volume 102 (2024) p. 59 - 72
Abstract
Clinical Nephrology, Vol. 102 – No. 2/2024 (59-72)
Mind the gap in kidney care: Translating what we know into what we do
Valerie A. Luyckx1#2#3, Katherine R. Tuttle4#5, Dina Abdellatif6, Ricardo Correa-Rotter7, Winston W.S. Fung8, Agnès Haris9, Li-Li Hsiao2, Makram Khalife10, Latha A. Kumaraswami11, Fiona Loud10, Vasundhara Raghavan10, Stefanos Roumeliotis12, Marianella Sierra10, Ifeoma Ulasi13, Bill Wang10, Siu-Fai Lui14, Vassilios Liakopoulos15, Alessandro Balducci16; for the World Kidney Day Joint Steering Committee17
1Department of Public and Global Health, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland, 2Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA, 3Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, 4Providence Medical Research Center, Providence Inland Northwest Health, Spokane, 5Nephrology Division, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA, 6Department of Nephrology, Cairo University Hospital, Cairo, Egypt, 7Department of Nephrology and Mineral Metabolism, National Medical Science and Nutrition Institute Salvador Zubiran, Mexico City, Mexico, 8Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China, 9Nephrology Department, Péterfy Hospital, Budapest, Hungary, 10ISN Patient Liaison Advisory Group, 11Tamilnad Kidney Research (TANKER) Foundation, Chennai, India, 122nd Department of Nephrology, AHEPA University Hospital Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece, 13Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria, 14Division of Health System, Policy and Management, Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 152nd Department of Nephrology, AHEPA University Hospital Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece, 16Italian Kidney Foundation, Rome, Italy, and 17The World Kidney Day Joint Steering Committee is listed in the Appendix
Historically, it takes an average of 17 years to move new treatments from clinical evidence to daily practice. Given the highly effective treatments now available to prevent or delay kidney disease onset and progression, this is far too long. The time is now to narrow the gap between what we know and what we do. Clear guidelines exist for the prevention and management of common risk factors for kidney disease, such as hypertension and diabetes, but only a fraction of people with these conditions worldwide are diagnosed, and even fewer are treated to target. Similarly, the vast majority of people living with kidney disease are unaware of their condition, because in the early stages it is often silent. Even among patients who have been diagnosed, many do not receive appropriate treatment for kidney disease. Considering the serious consequences of kidney disease progression, kidney failure, or death, it is imperative that treatments are initiated early and appropriately. Opportunities to diagnose and treat kidney disease early must be maximized beginning at the primary care level. Many systematic barriers exist, ranging from patient to clinician to health systems to societal factors. To preserve and improve kidney health for everyone everywhere, each of these barriers must be acknowledged so that sustainable solutions are developed and implemented without further delay.
Correspondence to:
Winston Fung, MB BChir (Cantab)
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics
Prince of Wales Hospital
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
9th Floor, Lui Che Woo Clinical Science Bldg
32 Ngan Shing St., Shatin, Hong Kong
Email: [email protected]
Editorial
Are Your Kidneys Ok? Detect early to protect kidney health
Joseph A. Vassalotti, Anna Francis, Augusto Cesar Soares Dos Santos Jr, Ricardo Correa-Rotter, Dina Abdellatif, Li-Li Hsiao, Stefanos Roumeliotis, Agnes Haris, Latha A. Kumaraswami, Siu-Fai Lui, Alessandro Balducci, and Vassilios Liakopoulos; World Kidney Day Joint Steering Committee
Volume 104 (2025) p. 87 - 96
Abstract
Clinical Nephrology, Vol. 104 – No. 2/2025 (87-96)
Are Your Kidneys Ok? Detect early to protect kidney health
Joseph A. Vassalotti1*, Anna Francis2*, Augusto Cesar Soares Dos Santos Jr3, Ricardo Correa-Rotter4, Dina Abdellatif5, Li-Li Hsiao6, Stefanos Roumeliotis7, Agnes Haris8, Latha A. Kumaraswami9, Siu-Fai Lui10, Alessandro Balducci11, and Vassilios Liakopoulos7; World Kidney Day Joint Steering Committee
1Mount Sinai Hospital, Department of Medicine-Renal Medicine, New York, NY, USA; National Kidney Foundation, Inc., New York, NY, USA, 2Queensland Children’s Hospital, Department of Nephrology, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 3Faculdade Ciencias Medicas de Minas Gerais, Brazil, Hospital das Clinicas, Ebserh, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil, 4Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico, 5Department of Nephrology, Cairo University Hospital, Cairo, Egypt, 6Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA, 7Second Department of Nephrology, AHEPA University Hospital Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece, 8Nephrology Department, Péterfy Hospital, Budapest, Hungary, 9Tamilnad Kidney Research (TANKER) Foundation, Chennai, India, 10Division of Health System, Policy and Management, Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, and 11Italian Kidney Foundation, Rome, Italy
Early identification of kidney disease can protect kidney health, prevent kidney disease progression and related complications, reduce cardiovascular disease risk and decrease mortality. We must ask “Are your kidneys ok?”, using serum creatinine to estimate kidney function and urine albumin to assess for kidney and endothelial damage. Evaluation for causes and risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) includes testing for diabetes and measurement of blood pressure and body mass index. This World Kidney Day we assert that case-finding in high-risk populations, or even populationlevel screening, can decrease the burden of kidney disease globally. Early-stage CKD is asymptomatic, simple to test for, and recent paradigm shifting CKD treatments such as sodium glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors dramatically improve outcomes and favor the cost-benefit analysis for screening or case-finding programs. Despite this, numerous barriers exist, including resource alloca-Editorial tion, healthcare funding, healthcare infrastructure, and healthcare-professional and population awareness of kidney disease. Coordinated efforts by major kidney nongovernmental organizations to prioritize the kidney health agenda for governments and aligning early detection efforts with other current programs will maximize efficiencies.
*Co-first authorsCorrespondence to:
Stefanos Roumeliotis, MD, PhD
Second Department of Nephrology
AHEPA University Hospital Medical School
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki, Greece
Email: [email protected]
Editorial
Kidney health for all: Caring for people, protecting the planet
Raymond Vanholder, Dina Abdellatif, Augusto Cesar Soares Dos Santos Jr., Ricardo Correa-Rotter, Natarajan Gopalakrishnan, Bill Wang, Stefanos Roumeliotis, Alessandro Balducci, Ágnes Haris, Manjusha Yadla, and Li-Li Hsiao
Volume 106 (2026) p. 1 - 13
Abstract
Clinical Nephrology, Vol. 106 – No. 1/2026 (1-13)
Kidney health for all: Caring for people, protecting the planet
Raymond Vanholder1#2, Dina Abdellatif3, Augusto Cesar Soares Dos Santos Jr.4#5, Ricardo Correa-Rotter6, Natarajan Gopalakrishnan7, Bill Wang8, Stefanos Roumeliotis9, Alessandro Balducci10, Ágnes Haris11, Manjusha Yadla12, and Li-Li Hsiao13
1Nephrology Section, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, 2European Kidney Health Alliance, Brussels, Belgium, 3Department of Nephrology, Cairo University Hospital, Cairo, Egypt, 4Faculdade Ciencias Medicas de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 5Hospital das Clinicas, Ebserh, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 6Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico, 7Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu, Chennai, India, 8Hong Kong Kidney Foundation, Hong Kong, SAR, China, 92nd Department of Nephrology, AHEPA University Hospital, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, 10Italian Kidney Foundation Italy, Rome, Italy, 11Department of Internal Medicine and Nephrology, Péterfy Hospital, Budapest, Hungary, 12Department of Nephrology, Gandhi Medical College, Hyderabad, Telangana, India; and 13Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
The current kidney care model – focused on late-stage disease and in-center hemodialysis – is unsustainable, because of costs, environmental burden, poor outcomes, and reduced quality of life. The 78th World Health Assembly’s recognition of kidney disease as a serious health threat presents a critical opportunity to reshape kidney care. Aligned with this, the 2026 World Kidney Day theme, “Kidney Health for All: Caring for People, Protecting the Planet”, calls for a systematic change. A sustainable model must prioritize early detection and prevention, reducing the need for kidney replacement therapy. Transplantation and home dialysis benefit people with kidney failure, environment and society. Dialysis itself must become more eco-friendly without compromising care quality, recognizing that planetary perturbations in turn affect kidney health. Conservative care should also be considered, particularly for elderly and frail patients, if the quality-of-life benefits outweigh the perspectives offered by dialysis. Achieving this shift requires coordinated action across all stakeholders; education and engagement of the public, policy makers and health professionals to raise awareness about the threat of kidney disease; and an urgent move toward patient-centered care.Correspondence to:
Dr. Stefanos Roumeliotis, MD, PhD, FERA
Nephrologist, Fellow of the World Kidney Day Joint Steering Committee
2nd Department of Nephrology
AHEPA Hospital, Medical School
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
1 St. Kyriakidi street
54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
Email: [email protected]
