World Kidney Day 2008: Raising Awareness of Chronic Kidney Disease and the Value of Rapid Testing

Burlingame, CA, March 10, 2022 — The Kidney TRUST, a non-profit organization dedicated to chronic kidney disease (CKD) education and prevention, will observe World Kidney Day this coming Wednesday, March 12th by providing no-cost, rapid screening for chronic kidney disease on a walk-in basis at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center located at 15801 Michigan Avenue in Dearborn, Michigan from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on March 25th at the Dublin Community Recreation Center at 5600 Post Road in Dublin, Ohio from 8:00 a.m. to 12 noon. During March, National Kidney Month, The Kidney TRUST (TKT) will be partnering with the dialysis advocacy organization DaVita Patient Citizens (DPC) and with DaVita to educate the general population and policy makers about kidney disease prevention.

“One in nine Americans today suffers from kidney disease,” said Chad Lennox, executive director of DaVita Patient Citizens. “Yet the vast majority of them are unaware of it, making it essential that we do all we can to raise awareness.”

A study published in the November 2007 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association found that over 13% — or one in nine — of all American adults have chronic kidney disease (CKD), but most are unaware of it. This “awareness gap” undercuts efforts to prevent irreversible kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant.

The Kidney TRUST’s public screening program is carried out in non-medical settings such as large employer workplaces and community health fairs. The goal is to provide accurate information about CKD and to identify individuals whose test results indicate signs of kidney disease. Participants who show signs of kidney disease are given materials about CKD and its prevention, and are encouraged to seek medical follow-up.

“The Kidney TRUST wants people to think about their overall kidney health before urgent care is needed. Chronic kidney disease is common and harmful, but treatable if detected early,” said Barbara Lawson, president of The Kidney TRUST. “We want to get the message out to the public that taking a simple test for CKD now could help head off serious health problems in the future.”

The Kidney TRUST was founded in 2006 by DaVita Inc., one of the largest providers of dialysis services in the United States. The TRUST is an independent public charity whose programs are intended to complement the efforts of other nonprofit organizations that focus on CKD, as well as develop solutions to address the critical unmet needs of people with CKD. For more information on The Kidney TRUST, please visit www.kidneytrust.org