GENEVA, 25 April 2018: The International Society of Nephrology (ISN) is pleased to become a full member of the NCD Alliance (NCDA) in order to accelerate political commitment and action on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide, including kidney disease.

Prof. David Harris, ISN President said: “We are delighted to join the NCD Alliance and work with colleagues from other disease communities to keep the pressure on United Nations Member States and governments to ensure NCDs, including kidney disease, get the attention they deserve.”

ISN is the first NGO representing kidney disease to join the Alliance. It aims to represent the voice of all those people suffering from kidney diseases.

José Luis Castro, President, NCDA said: “We welcome ISN to the NCDA family and are thrilled to be collaborating with the kidney community. For far too long, many organisations have worked separately while we can achieve so much more together."

“We welcome ISN to the NCDA family and are thrilled to be collaborating with the kidney community. For far too long, many organisations have worked separately while we can achieve so much more together." - NCDA President José Luis Castro.

“We share a common goal, which is to help avoid the unnecessary death and disability of millions of people worldwide. The NCD Alliance has proven that by bringing disease communities together and working towards shared objectives, we can drive change so much quicker than if we go alone.”

José Luis added: “So far neglected in the global discussions to date, kidney disease requires urgent consideration by political leaders. With the 2018 UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs on the horizon, the collaboration could not have come at a more opportune moment.”

850 million people with kidney disease

Kidney disease is inextricably linked with the increasing global burden of NCDs – as a cause and consequence of other major diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes. About 850 million people worldwide have some sort of kidney disease.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is the 11th leading cause of global mortality, and the 6th fastest growing cause of death globally with an estimated 1.2 million deaths directly attributable to CKD per year and a further 1.2 million deaths from other diseases attributable to reduced kidney function.

Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), an important driver of CKD, affects over 13 million people worldwide. It is estimated that 1.7 million people die annually from AKI, many in LMICs having no access to life-saving dialysis.

In 2010, 2.6 million people with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) or “kidney failure” received dialysis or transplantation worldwide, a number projected to increase to 5.4 million by 2030. It is estimated that at least 2.3 million people die annually, predominantly in LMICs, from end-stage kidney disease because they cannot access renal dialysis or transplantation.

Global mortality from kidney disease therefore is of similar magnitude to that of diabetes, cancer and respiratory disease, three of the four main NCDs highlighted in the NCD Action Plan.

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About the International Society of Nephrology

The International Society of Nephrology (ISN) is a philanthropic organisation dedicated to advancing worldwide kidney health.

With 10,000 professional members from over 150 countries, the ISN represents a wide international network and an efficient platform for timely scientific exchange, debate and communication between healthcare professionals involved in preventing and treating kidney disease.

By collaborating with more than 100 national and regional societies, we reach out to an additional 30,000 health professionals globally. Our overarching purpose is to tackle the global burden of acute kidney injury, chronic and end-stage kidney disease, improving patient care through an interconnected advocacy, education and research strategy.

About the NCD Alliance
The NCD Alliance (NCDA) is leading the way to a world free from preventable suffering, disability and death caused by noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). As a respected and united global civil society movement, NCDA brings together a unique network of over 2,000 civil society organisations in 170 countries representing different diseases and risk factors pursuing a common cause.

NCDA is a recognised global thought leader on NCD policy and practice, a convener of the civil society movement, a partner to governments and UN agencies, and an advocate for people at risk of or living with NCDs. It has an impressive track record, having influenced a series of global political commitments on NCDs, positioned NCDs as a priority sustainable development issue, fostered multisectoral partnerships for NCDs, and cultivated a network of over 55 national and regional NCD alliances.

Media contacts:
ISN - Sally Horspool, [email protected]
NCDA - Jimena Márquez Donaher, [email protected]