ISN partners with UKidney

This year, the deadline for applying to the ISN Global Outreach (GO) Reseach and Prevention (R&P) Program is October 1st, 2011.
 
In the context of its call for proposals on “Noncommunicable chronic disease prevention programs in developing countries”, the R&P committee can provide seed funding (up to 15,000 USD) for a number of projects awarded on a competitive basis in two rounds every year. Find out more here.

For further information, contact Antoinette Van Engelen at the Mario Negri Institute, e-mail:
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This month is the last chance to apply for the ISN Global Outreach (GO) Sister Renal Center Program. The deadline has been set for September 30, 2011. Find out more here.

The ISN SRC Program aims at enhancing the practice of nephrology in the developing world by linking emerging renal units with established centers of excellence in the developed world. It nurtures a partnership between two centers by supplying a framework and several benefits which depend on the level status within the program.

The benefits are all products of synergized efforts between all other ISN GO Programs, activities and overall strategies (fellowships, trainings, journal subscriptions, travel grants…). There are around 10 available places at the entry level.

For more information, please contact Samantha Rens at the ISN Headquarters, e-mail:
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ISN will take part in the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Kidney Week from November 10 to 12, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Every year, this event attracts more than 13,000 kidney professionals from around the globe to exchange knowledge, learn the latest scientific and medical advances, and listen to engaging and provocative exchanges between leading experts in the field.

ISN is planning a range of activities during the whole week. Visitors can find out more about the impact of the ISN Global Outreach (GO) Programs at the exhibition stand (booth 332-336).

Aside from this, ISN is also planning:

–    Information sessions on ISN’s GO programs
–    Meet the Kidney International Editor sessions
–    To showcase World Kidney Day 2012 activities and campaign materials
–    Incentives for joining and renewing ISN membership
–    Plus much more

Stay tuned online for more information as it happens. We look forward to meeting you in Philadelphia.

Cancer, diabetes, heart and lung disease are the main targets of a new World Health Organization (WHO) campaign launched in 2005 to address the global epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) does not get a passing mention even though it meets all the criteria of a major public health problem.

Aside from raising awareness with World Kidney Day, ISN is currently working to better position CKD in global health thinking by building official working relations with the WHO. ISN President John Feehally says: “Gaining a position for kidney disease in global health strategies is long. There are many obstacles along the way. However, we remain committed to ensuring that kidney disease patients share the benefits that come with increased awareness and attention to NCDs worldwide. ”

Starting in 2008, ISN put forward its mission and proposed a joint work plan to implement CKD prevention and intervention programs into WHO’s health agenda and build “official relations. ISN has now submitted a final progress report on the 2009-2011 ISN/WHO work plan and a new work plan for 2011-13.

The first part of this work plan was completed this July when William Couser, Marcello Tonelli and Giuseppe Remuzzi  submitted a paper to WHO entitled: “The Contribution of Chronic Kidney Disease to the Global Burden of Major Non-Communicable Diseases.” Remuzzi and Norberto Perico also completed the second part by applying WHO/ISH risk charts to the ISN KDDC data base to study the  association between kidney disease markers and the risk of cardio vascular disease.

In June, ISN leaders contacted the WHO’s Assistant Director General for Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health to review and update the status of ISN’s application. On August 2, 2011 ISN was notified that the application was complete and will be reviewed in January 2012.

At the ISN World Congress of Nephrology 2011, leaders continued to voice concern that CKD remains absent from the WHO list of NCDs even though it affects twice the estimated number of the world’s population with diabetes. A senior advisor for public policy was hired to put together a plan of action to position CKD more prominently in the global health agenda, especially at the United Nations High Level Meeting on NCDs taking place in New York  in September 2011. Joint efforts with the International Federation of Kidney Foundations, European Kidney Health Alliance and leaders of major US renal organizations have also been carried out to get ISN’ a seat at the table for CKD policy planning.

This got the ball rolling for ISN to recruit some 350 ISN ‘advocacy volunteers’ to carry its message to the WHO and lobby for the organization to include CKD in its NCD strategy. So far, these volunteers have cultivated relationships with Health Ministers in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Guatemala , India, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, The Netherlands, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Turkey, The United States, Uruguay.

To raise further attention, ISN has produced CKD supportive ‘Op-Ed’ articles and an advocacy piece entitled: “Awareness of Kidney  Disease Low Despite Affecting  500 Million People Worldwide and Global Costs Surpassing  $1 Trillion this Decade .” On August 22, 2011, ISN was granted membership in the NCD Alliance “Common Interest Group” – the first renal organization to be included in this group.