ISN Advocacy Newsletter – Bridging the Gaps – June 2026
ISN advocacy drives global momentum for kidney care
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
Just over a year ago, the adoption of the WHO kidney health resolution marked a historic step forward, recognizing kidney disease as a priority within the noncommunicable disease agenda. This anniversary is a reminder that our work now lies in translating that recognition into practical progress for patients and communities. This edition of Bridging the Gaps reflects a period of intense advocacy work focused on exactly that: moving from policy commitments to action at global, regional, and national levels.
In March, the World Congress of Nephrology in Yokohama provided an important opportunity to advance this agenda. The need to translate policy into practice recurred as a central theme across many sessions. The Professor Donal O’Donoghue Global Kidney Policy Forum brought together experts from Japan and across the region to share practical examples and lessons learned in advancing kidney health in line with the WHO resolution. An advocacy workshop, led by the ISN Advocacy Working Group, also supported early-career professionals in building the skills needed to advocate effectively in their own countries and communities.
More recently, at the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva, the ISN played an active role in global health discussions through two important events focused on kidney health, integrated care, and universal health coverage. Working closely with partners, we continued to make the case for kidney health as an essential part of action on noncommunicable diseases and progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 3, particularly targets 3.4 and 3.8.
World Kidney Day also demonstrated the strength of our collective advocacy efforts, showing how coordinated global action can keep kidney health visible and urgent worldwide.
Together, we are making steady progress. By sharing knowledge, building partnerships, and supporting advocacy at all levels, we are helping ensure that kidney health is recognized as an essential part of equitable and resilient health systems.
Thank you for your continued dedication and commitment.
Warm regards,
Marcello Tonelli
ISN President
How can decision-makers and kidney health stakeholders work together to reduce the burden of kidney disease and improve prevention and care?
This question is at the heart of the Professor Donal O’Donoghue Global Kidney Policy Forum (PDOGKPF), which brings together regional and global experts to exchange evidence, share strategies, and support practical action in specific countries or regions.
Explore the official PDOGKPF 2026 pamphlet
The 2026 forum, “Bridging Policy and Practice for Kidney Health in North and East Asia,” took place on March 28 in conjunction with World Congress of Nephrology in Yokohama, Japan. Attended by nearly 300 participants, the meeting focused on regional dialogue and best-practice sharing to support implementation of the WHO kidney health resolution adopted in May 2025.
Access a recording of the event
Discussions explored how policy can be translated into practical improvements in kidney care across North and East Asia. The first panel, moderated by Ifeoma Ulasi, Advocacy Working Group chair, examined Japan’s integrated care approach as a model for making specialist knowledge more accessible in primary care. The second panel, moderated by Muhammad Iqbal Abdul Hafidz, deputy chair of the Advocacy Working Group, explored data-driven strategies and regional challenges, drawing lessons from diverse health systems across the region.
Both panels welcomed people with lived experience of kidney disease. Takeshi Shukunobe (Japan) and ISN Patient Liaison Advisory Group Chair Manvir Victor (Malaysia), shared powerful perspectives on access to kidney care in the region and highlighted the importance of patient-centred approaches in policy and practice.
The ISN thanks all speakers, participants, and partners for their contribution to the success of this year’s forum.
What advocacy skills are needed to help turn global kidney health commitments into stronger kidney care?
At an ISN advocacy workshop, held during WCN’ 26 in Yokohama, members of the ISN Young Nephrologists Committee and Emerging Leaders Program explored practical ways to assess national kidney care needs, identify service gaps, and develop targeted advocacy strategies to support the implementation of the 2025 World Health Organization kidney health resolution.
Designed to strengthen participants’ role as advocates, attendees used tools such as the ISN Global Kidney Health Atlas and the SMART advocacy framework to conduct situational assessments and map concrete actions to advance kidney health in selected countries, including Senegal, India, Mexico, and Spain.
Reports summarizing the draft strategies developed by each group will be available shortly.
Kidney health is increasingly being recognized as a measure of whether health systems can deliver comprehensive, equitable, and affordable care. This message was central to “Kidney Health for All: Delivering Comprehensive Care From Prevention to Treatment,” an event hosted by the ISN in collaboration with Devex during the World Health Assembly in Geneva on May 20, 2026.
Access a recording of the event
Global leaders explored how integrating the full continuum of kidney care, from primary-level prevention to sustainable care models, can strengthen health systems and support progress toward universal health coverage (UHC). They emphasized that kidney care must be both essential and affordable within national health systems.
The discussion also considered how countries can translate recent global commitments, including the WHO kidney health resolution and the UN political declaration on NCDs and mental health, into practical national action.
Speakers included ISN President Marcello Tonelli, WONCA President Viviana Martinez-Bianchi, EMEA Vantive President Magnus Lindholm, Smeeta Sinha from Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, Stephen Mutiso from the Kenya Ministry of Health, and Philippos Pashalidis from Novartis.
This event was hosted with the support of ISN strategic partners Novartis, Vantive, and Boehringer Ingelheim.
For the first time, the ISN partnered on an official WHO side event, “Gestational Diabetes and Beyond: Strengthening Primary Care for Integrated Reno-Metabolic Health Across the Life Course,” held during the 79th World Health Assembly.
The event centered on gestational diabetes (GDM) as an early indicator of future cardio-renal risk. Discussions highlighted that the health impact of GDM extends far beyond delivery, increasing the risk of chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular complications for both mothers and offspring later in life.
The ISN and its partners called for stronger primary care, integrated metabolic, cardiovascular, and kidney health services, and better continuity of patient care across medical specialties.
The event was co-hosted by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Diabetes Foundation, with official support from the Governments of Guatemala, Kenya, and Tanzania, as well as the United Nations Population Fund and the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
A new paper published in The Lancet provides a practical roadmap to help countries implement the WHO kidney health resolution and strengthen prevention, early detection, and access to kidney care worldwide.
“Implementing the commitments of the World Health Assembly kidney health resolution: a key opportunity to improve health for millions,” outlines concrete steps countries can take to translate global commitments into national action as the burden of kidney disease continues to rise.
The authors propose a phased and integrated approach, starting with national governance mechanisms, focal points, and situational assessments to identify gaps and priorities. The paper also highlights the importance of embedding kidney care within primary health care, NCD strategies, and universal health coverage rather than creating stand-alone systems.
ISN President Marcello Tonelli described the paper as a critical next step following the adoption of the WHO kidney health resolution. “Resolutions alone do not save lives,” he said. “Meaningful progress will depend on how Member States implement these commitments within their own health systems.”
The publication comes at a crucial time as countries begin turning the WHO kidney health resolution into policies and programs that can help improve outcomes for millions of people worldwide.
Play your part in turning the WHO kidney health resolution into action by downloading ISN’s one-page advocacy tool for engaging government and health system stakeholders.
A major step forward for kidney health: the World Health Organization has launched a dedicated kidney disease webpage, marking a clear shift in how kidney disease is being recognized within the global health agenda.
This addition to the WHO website is a strong signal that kidney disease is now firmly positioned alongside other major noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), with the visibility and attention it has long required.
This milestone builds on important progress achieved over the past year, including the adoption of the WHO kidney health resolution and the UN political declaration on NCDs and mental health. These global commitments have reinforced the urgency of addressing kidney disease as a major contributor to illness and premature death worldwide. They also highlight kidney health as an essential part of efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.4, which aims to reduce premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases.
The new WHO webpage serves as a central reference point for policymakers, health professionals, and advocates. It strengthens awareness, supports integrated approaches to prevention and care, and helps translate global commitments into practical action at national levels.
The ISN and the WHO have renewed their official collaboration through a new three-year collaboration plan for 2027–2029, reinforcing a longstanding partnership to advance kidney health within the global public health agenda.
Building on the 2024–2026 WHO–ISN Collaboration Plan, the agreement continues the ISN’s formal engagement with the WHO as a non-State actor in official relations, enabling the ISN to contribute technical expertise to WHO-led activities and participate in the annual World Health Assembly in Geneva.
The new plan will help strengthen kidney health within the global health agenda, supporting efforts to turn recent WHO and UN commitments into practical action at national levels.
It focuses on two strategic areas designed to reduce the global burden of kidney disease:
- Health determinants: Generating global evidence on kidney disease burden and risk factors to inform the WHO’s multisectoral noncommunicable disease (NCD) action.
- Universal health coverage (UHC): Strengthening primary health care systems to ensure kidney care is an essential component of national health services.
The agreement highlights the growing recognition of kidney disease as an urgent health priority, reinforcing the need for coordinated international action to improve prevention, early diagnosis, and kidney care worldwide.
More than 432 million people were reached on social media, 3,500 activities were organized across 91 countries, and over 97 landmarks were illuminated in 13 countries as World Kidney Day (WKD) marked its 20th anniversary on March 12.
Explore the WKD 2026 Impact Report
The 2026 campaign, “Kidney health for all: caring for people, protecting the planet,” brought the global community together to raise awareness of kidney health and its links to environmental factors such as air pollution, heat exposure, and dehydration. The theme also highlighted the environmental impact of kidney care itself.
Other key results included a growing community of 165,000 followers, 4.3 million impressions, and 429,000 downloads of campaign materials.
If you organized a WKD activity, upload your photos to the gallery and share your country report on your personal profile to help showcase the global impact of the campaign.
World Kidney Day is a year-long initiative. Keep raising awareness, join the global WKD community, and help make kidney health a priority for all.
