The ISN Renal Sister Center Program was launched to enhance cooperation between centers of nephrology worldwide. The goal is for renal centers in the developed world to relate to centers in emerging countries by exchanging and sharing faculty, fellows, students and equipment as well as cooperating in clinical research projects and educational courses. The response has been remarkable and 125 Renal Sister Center paired relationships (that is 250 nephrology units worldwide) were officially established at an inaugural ceremony with certificates presented at the International Congress of Nephrology in Sydney, May 1997. These links involve 57 emerging countries and 17 in the developed world. Once a partnership has been established, it will have a positive bearing on continuity and on the acquirement of ISN funds and programs although these funds are limited and the ISN cannot help every sister institute. Therefore the sister partnership should in principle be self-supporting. A center in a developed country may consider arranging a second agreement.
We believe that the ISN Renal Sister Center program will be mutually beneficial and will in some small way begin to impact the care of patients with kidney disease and hypertension in the two-thirds of the world where the available health care is suboptimal. On October 31, 2024, the number of ISN sister links has increased to 145. Evidently, sister partnerships can optimally be built on existing or previous relationships (i.e. former fellows, visiting professorships, friendships, etc.). Directors of renal centers in emerging and developed countries are asked to communicate potential ISN Sister Center relationships to the ISN Global Headquarters (see questionnaire/application form).