Fiona Loud A delayed kidney disease diagnosis can affect far more than treatment. It can leave people with little time to understand what is happening, prepare for what comes next, or make informed choices about their care. For ISN Patient Liaison Advisory Group member Fiona Loud (UK), the warning signs stretched back years. Kidney damage was...
Behind every diagnosis is a patient with their own experiences, priorities, and story. Narrative medicine asks clinicians to pay closer attention to these stories and how they can inform medical decision-making. Rita Charon (USA), a professor of medicine, literary scholar, and co-founder of the field of narrative medicine, will present “Narrative Power for Patients and...
Manvir Victor (left) and Bill Wang From navigating diagnosis and treatment to the practical and emotional challenges of everyday life, members of the ISN Patient Liaison Advisory Group shared what it means to live with kidney disease. Challenging "systemic blindness" in kidney care For Bill Wang in Hong Kong, one of the defining challenges...
Since its launch in 2019, the ISN Community Film Event is seen as a distinctive creative platform where patients, families, healthcare professionals, and advocates can highlight the impact of living with kidney diseases by sharing their personal experiences. Submit your film Across eight editions, the films have taken viewers into remote communities, through transplant journeys, and into dialysis units, hospitals, and homes, depicting uncertainty and challenges alongside resilience and hope. With submissions now open for...
Advocating for national kidney health action just got easier. The ISN has developed a one-page tool for advocating with government and health system stakeholders showing how they can support the national implementation of the WHO kidney health resolution. Download and share the one-pager Based on an ISN-led policy paper published in The Lancet in May 2026, the one-pager outlines five practical steps countries can take to move from commitment to implementation,...
How will you support kidney health and sustainability this World Kidney Day? With kidney disease affecting millions worldwide and environmental factors such as heat, pollution, and access to clean water increasingly shaping risk, this year’s theme, “Kidney Health for All: Caring for People, Protecting the Planet,” calls for prevention, early detection, and care models that are people-centered and planet-conscious. Read...
On October 14, 2025, His Royal Highness Prince Daniel of Sweden visited ISN Immediate Past-President Masaomi Nangaku at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine. A kidney transplant recipient and patron of the ISN, Prince Daniel has long been an advocate for kidney disease awareness. They discussed ISN initiatives, including the Global Kidney Health...
Kidney International® The Standardized Outcomes in Nephrology (SONG) initiative: A decade of harmonizing patient voices and research in kidney disease The authors of this editorial highlight how research on chronic kidney disease has been hindered by inconsistent and often patient-irrelevant reporting of outcomes. This challenge prompted the launch of the global Standardized Outcomes in Nephrology (SONG) initiative...
The ISN is committed to amplifying the voices of people living with kidney disease through several initiatives, including the work of the ISN Patient Liaison Advisory Group. Another key effort is an ongoing global map of kidney patient organizations designed to help individuals find support and connect with others who share similar experiences. Explore the...
The “ISN Global Kidney Trials Insights: A Guide for Everyone” has expanded to include two new case studies. Based on the ISN-ACT Global Trials Focus (GTF) summaries, the guide translates complex trial findings into accessible information to help those living with kidney diseases and others better understand advancements in kidney care. Access the simplified summaries...
Nina Diana, chair of the South African Renal Congress, signs the ISN petition The ISN has launched a petition to raise the profile of kidney disease and help address its growing global burden. The ISN has created a social media toolkit to help you easily share and promote the global petition for kidney health across your...
In September, the ISN had a powerful presence at UNGA79, successfully raising awareness of the human and economic burden of kidney disease while garnering support from Member States to promote kidney health within the broader noncommunicable disease (NCD) agenda. The ISN’s aims at the event were threefold: Raise awareness about the urgent need to prioritize kidney...
The ISN has launched an online petition calling on all to join forces toward elevating kidney disease as a global health priority. We want 1 million signatures by the end of the year – and we need your support! Read more about the petition and add your signature Kidney disease is one of the leading causes...
Take the two-minute survey here Toward ensuring our resources remain relevant and practical for patients, the ISN has developed a survey to gather definitions of 'kidney health' from the international kidney community. In addition, the ISN invites participants to share patient resources they would like to add to the "Resources for People Living With Kidney Disease"...
ISN Healthy Kidneys Champions - members of ISN’s regional boards- are leading the dissemination of the "Are Your Kidneys Healthy?" one-minute online quiz. This quiz, available in 26 languages, helps people understand their risk for kidney disease and know when to talk to their healthcare professional. Find out more about how ISN Healthy Kidneys Champions are promoting...
The @ISBT128 presented at #WHA77 a constituency statement on the Transplantation of Human Cells, Tissues, and Organs, signed by the ISN and key stakeholders. Holistic kidney transplantation care is crucial for saving lives and improving outcomes.Download the statement here:… pic.twitter.com/W6vqtr57It— Int Society of Nephrology (@ISNkidneycare) May 29, 2024 The ISN attended the 77th...
The ISN is collaborating with Devex for the second consecutive year to discuss expanding global kidney care. Register for the event online or in person here The event, “Advancing Kidney Care for All: Expanding Access to Lifesaving Therapies,” will take place on the occasion of the 77th session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 29,...
In the run-up to World Kidney Day on Thursday, March 14, the ISN caught up with World Kidney Day staff to find out how to get involved in one of the most significant annual events in the kidney care community and why it's so important to join in. Listen to the interview here. WKD is a year-round...
World Kidney Day (WKD) has launched a brand new website! Watch this video to get to know the upgraded WKD website and its exciting new features: WKD Youtube Designed to enhance the online journey for thousands of WKD participants worldwide, this user-friendly platform was developed to facilitate the advancement of the WKD mission to raise global awareness...
Valerie Luyckx, ISN Advocacy Working Group chair, was invited to join a panel of experts at the World Heart Federation's Heart Café Session "Navigating the Complex Relationship Between Chronic Kidney Disease and Cardiovascular Complications," held as part of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Watch a recording of the event...
