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KRA members on World Kidney Day 2021

This edition of ISN’s series on Collective-Member Societies features the Africa region and highlights the Kenya Renal Association (KRA).

We spoke to the outgoing chair of the KRA, Ahmed Twahir, about ongoing local initiatives to raise kidney health awareness and improve kidney care services in the region.

The KRA collaborates with the Kenya Nephrology Nurses Association to conduct annual outreach initiatives in different parts of the country to generate public awareness of the risks associated with kidney disease.

The association also oversees World Kidney Day celebrations in Kenya, which offers an additional opportunity to publicize preventative measures for kidney disease and support those living with kidney diseases.

The KRA is involved in several projects to bridge the gaps of available kidney care in Kenya and move kidney health higher up the local health policy agenda:

• It is currently lobbying the government for full transplant, pre-transplant evaluation, and post-transplant medication reimbursement through the National Hospital Insurance Fund.
• The KRA works closely with the East Africa Kidney Institute to train more nephrology doctors to address the shortage of kidney specialists in
• Inspections of all hemodialysis units are carried out in collaboration with the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council to ensure international standards are adhered to before issuing a license.
• The KRA submitted a proposal to parliament advising the government to establish a transplant oversight authority to regulate organ transplants in Kenya.

The KRA has built up partnerships with pharmaceutical companies and hospitals offering dialysis to help support monthly CMEs for its members and their annual conferences. The conference brings together diverse kidney specialists from around the globe to share the latest in kidney care science. The 2021 hybrid edition had over 380 delegates in attendance.

The KRA is currently conducting research on the clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 in chronic hemodialysis patients, and plans are underway to carry out a water analysis in hemodialysis units in Kenya.

The Kenyan Renal Association became an ISN Affiliated Society in 2015 and joined as an ISN Collective-Member Society in 2020.