American Kidney Fund's Kidney Health for All™ Health Equity Media Campaign Expands to More Communities Nationwide
Part of AKF's Kidney Health for All™ health equity program, the media campaign first launched in 2024 to raise awareness about kidney disease prevention and management among Black and Hispanic/Latino people who are at greatest risk of kidney failure. In the U.S., the prevalence of kidney failure among Black people is more than four times that of white people, while the prevalence of kidney failure in Hispanic or Latino people is more than twice that of non-Hispanic white people, according to the U.S. Renal Data System.
'Our mission in launching Kidney Health for All was simple: to help ensure that all Americans, regardless of race, ethnicity or background, can access the tools and information they need to help prevent and effectively manage kidney disease,' said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF President and CEO. 'Our critical work to address health disparities is ongoing, and we are grateful for the continuing support of all those who have joined in our efforts to fight kidney disease on all fronts.'
The media campaign employs TV, streaming and radio PSAs, digital advertising, and videos in primary care offices nationwide. It also features ads on billboards and public transportation in metropolitan areas with high rates of kidney disease; these billboards and public transit ads have now expanded to eight additional markets, for a total of 16: Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, New Orleans, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Washington, D.C.; Birmingham, Alabama; Columbia, South Carolina; Jackson, Mississippi; Little Rock, Arkansas; Memphis, Tennessee; Richmond, Virginia; and Sacramento, California.
AKF's Kidney Health for All health equity program addresses four areas of kidney health: prevention and awareness, increasing use of home dialysis, diversifying participation in clinical trials and increasing access to transplant.
As part of this work, AKF established and convened the Health Equity Coalition in 2021. This coalition is comprised of organizations, patients and caregivers and helps guide the development of evidence-based programs and resources for AKF's patient and professional audiences.
Since the launch of the program, AKF has developed a number of award-winning resources, including Your Guide to Kidney Transplant and the Home Dialysis Decision Aid, with more resources for people living with kidney disease and those at risk coming soon.
AKF has also created a health equity training program, which connects advocates to each other, teaches effective advocacy techniques, helps attendees develop an understanding of health equity impacting people with kidney disease and empowers attendees to advocate for laws, policies and regulations that impact the kidney community.
Additionally, AKF is now in its second year of its Kidney Health Coach (KHC) Health Equity Grant program, which helps expand the reach and impact of KHC by empowering organizations and coaches across the country to reach at-risk communities and spread health messaging in chronic kidney disease (CKD) prevention and management. So far, AKF has awarded 48 coaches and eight organizations with grants.
AKF's Kidney Health for All program can be viewed at kidneyhealthforall.org.
Kidney Health for All is supported by Presenting Sponsors Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly and Company and Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Equity Sponsors AstraZeneca, Merck and Co., Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc., Sanofi and Travere Therapeutics.
About the American Kidney Fund
The American Kidney Fund (AKF) fights kidney disease on all fronts as the nonprofit with the greatest direct impact on people with kidney disease. AKF works on behalf of 1 in 7 Americans living with kidney disease, and the millions more at risk, with an unmatched scope of programs that support people wherever they are in their fight against kidney disease—from prevention through transplant. AKF fights for kidney health for all through programs that address early detection, disease management, financial assistance, clinical research, innovation and advocacy. AKF is one of the nation's top-rated nonprofits, investing 97 cents of every donated dollar in programs, and it has received 24 consecutive 4-Star ratings from Charity Navigator as well as the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, formerly known as GuideStar.
For more information, please visit KidneyFund.org, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
CONTACT: Nancy Gregory American Kidney Fund (240) 292-7077 ngregory@kidneyfund.org
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