A new kidney patient and donor advocacy group, The Kidney Patient and Donor Alliance Canada (Kidney Alliance) is calling for the radical reform of the kidney health care system in Canada. Established in 2019, the Kidney Alliance is a non-profit organization composed of and led by kidney patients and donors who want to play a role in improving kidney care for all patients across Canada.
The Kidney Alliance just launched its first national advocacy campaign, ‘Transplant 1st’, calling for kidney patients, kidney donors, their family members, renal healthcare providers and other interested parties to join them in an urgent call to reform the Canadian healthcare system to give more patients the opportunity to receive kidney transplants. The group will release a white paper on the topic in early 2024.
The Kidney Alliances argues that a “new kidney care model centered on transplant as the first and best treatment for kidney failure would save thousands of lives and realize billions of dollars in health care costs related to dialysis, including disability benefits, lost work productivity, increased financial burden on patients and families, and countless other social service support costs.”
“As long as patients and their families accept the status quo in terms of kidney care, there’s no reason to expect anything to change,” says Brent Cheal, a kidney donor to his daughter and one of the patient partners spearheading the campaign. It’s no secret the Canadian healthcare system is under-resourced, but when there’s a clear solution that can save money and lives, why would we not work together to make it happen?”
The Kidney Alliance is calling for the kidney community to mobilize to support their call to action. Visit Kidney Alliance to share your thoughts or get more information.
