The Kidney Foundation of Canada is on a mission to raise awareness about kidney disease and improve patient access to quality care.
Did you know that your kidneys are just as important to your health as your heart or your lungs? For the 1 in 10 Canadians affected by kidney disease, this is a sobering reality to confront. People living with kidney conditions face daily challenges managing their health and life-altering consequences if their disease progresses to kidney failure.
Kidney disease can range from mild to severe and in some cases leads to kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease. When the kidneys can no longer filter blood, two life-saving treatments exist: dialysis and transplant. Dialysis is gruelling — it’s exhausting, time-consuming, and financially draining. Transplantation is the best treatment option for many patients with kidney failure, but with over 2,400 people in Canada currently awaiting kidney transplants, the wait for a suitable donor can be long and uncertain.
It’s critical that patients have a voice
and a seat at the table.
With so many Canadians impacted, the need for support, education, and advocacy has never been greater. That’s where The Kidney Foundation of Canada comes in.
Improving patient access
For 60 years, The Kidney Foundation of Canada has been guided by a vision of excellent kidney health, optimal quality of life, and a cure for kidney disease. Its work focuses on ensuring access to care through both national and local efforts, including advocating for new therapies, supporting patients, funding innovative research (including through the KRESCENT program), and advocating for health care policies that improve the lives of Canadians affected by kidney disease.
“Patients and caregivers are at the heart of everything we do,” says Carrie Thibodeau, National Director of Programs and Public Policy at The Kidney Foundation.
The Kidney Foundation also works to raise awareness about prevention, early diagnosis, and organ donation and transplantation. Initiatives to improve the lives of those suffering from kidney failure through increased organ donation include the creation and administration of the Living Organ Donor Reimbursement Program and leadership of the Living Donor Circle of Excellence program in Canada, both of which increase financial support for kidney donors. This helps to alleviate the costs associated with donation and encourage more people to consider becoming living organ donors.
A new national framework for kidney disease
One of The Kidney Foundation’s most important advocacy initiatives currently underway is the development of a new national framework for chronic kidney disease. “Our ultimate goal is recognition and prioritization of kidney disease in Canada” says Thibodeau. “We’re focusing on prevention and early detection, equitable access to quality care, and research and data.”
Indeed, a public survey was launched to inform the framework. “It’s critical that patients have a voice and a seat at the table,” says Thibodeau. “The purpose of the survey was to understand their kidney journey, and to seek their recommendations on improving kidney care. The completed framework will reflect the priorities that were identified by the patients and other members of the kidney community that we’ve spoken to.”
Thibodeau hopes that the framework will lead the government to recognize chronic kidney disease as a distinct disease, as opposed to a complication of other conditions like diabetes or hypertension, and lead to health policy decisions that improve outcomes for people affected by kidney disease.
EMPOWERING PATIENTS AND DONORS ACROSS CANADA
The Kidney Foundation is leading impactful advocacy efforts nationwide to support and empower those affected by kidney disease. Here are a few examples of its recent successes and ongoing initiatives:
Advocating on Parliament Hill
Patients, caregivers, and living donors from across Canada took their message to Parliament Hill Day in April, meeting with Ministers, MPs, senators, and government officials to increase awareness of kidney disease. The ultimate goal is to establish a properly funded and nationally recognized system for quality kidney care.
Addressing the Financial Burden of Kidney Disease
The Kidney Foundation plays a leading role in advocating for patients and families coping with the financial burden of kidney disease. One recent success in Alberta was securing continued funding for the Home Hemodialysis Utility Grant (HUG) and the Dialysis Transportation Program, which help ease the financial strain for dialysis patients accessing treatment.
Increasing Access to Kidney Care
In Quebec, The Kidney Foundation of Canada collaborated closely with the Atikamekw of Manawan to improve access to kidney care and raise awareness of risk factors for kidney disease. This involved information sessions, including radio broadcasts, screening clinics, and educational activities for youth on healthy lifestyle habits.
Promoting Living Donation
The Living Donor Circle of Excellence program recognizes employers that support the lost wages of organ donors during their recovery. This initiative, spearheaded by BC/Yukon Branch in partnership with the Canadian Transplant Society and program founder the American Society of Transplantation, reduces financial barriers for living donors and is available across Canada. Recent efforts to grow the program were supported by the BC government.
Visit kidney.ca to learn more about the resources available and how you can get involved.
