“Straightforward to detect and treat”: Marcello Tonelli on preventing kidney disease — watch the recording
“Kidney disease is straightforward to detect and straightforward to treat in primary care, if you provide people with the right tools and the right support.” That was the message from ISN President Marcello Tonelli during “Kidney Health Matters: Advancing Commitments into Action,” a high-level event co-hosted by the ISN and Devex on the sidelines of UNGA80, in New York on September 23.
He noted that every dollar spent on preventing kidney disease can save up to $45 in future healthcare costs — evidence that governments need to consider when guiding national policy.
Watch a recording of the event
As part of ISN’s ongoing global activities to raise kidney health on the global health agenda, the event opened with a fireside chat on global commitments as a driver of change, followed by a panel discussion on translating commitments into national action and measuring success.
Professor Tonelli highlighted the importance of each country establishing its own national steering committee to gain a realistic overview of kidney care service gaps and existing capacity, commenting, “The steering committee can help to prepare an accepted plan that has a budget, timeline…concrete deliverables and KPIs, and…the commitment of time [and] resources that are going to make the difference.”
The ISN has launched an implementation strategy that aims to translate global commitments into practical measures at the national level. The strategy aligns with the ISN Manifesto and will include an advocacy workshop at WCN’26, where experts will work in groups focused on selected, diverse countries to explore practical approaches to implementation. This initial year-long phase will culminate in a Global Implementation Summit at WCN’27 in Dubai, providing a high-level platform to review progress and reinforce collective action.
