Kidney disease is one of the leading causes of death globally, but public awareness is low. Let’s urge global leaders to make kidney health a priority now!
Over 850 million people live with kidney disease worldwide. This page contains resources for individuals living with kidney disease, their carers, loved ones, as well as for the general public. Below is a map of global kidney patient organizations, patient stories and general information about kidneys, including risk factors for kidney disease and how to take care of your kidneys.
Global Kidney Patient Organizations
For more local resources, use the map below to find a patient organisation near you.
Click the dots on the map to see the country, patient organization name and website. If you are aware of any other organizations, please do feel free to share with mmoorthy@theisn.org.
The ISN is not responsible for content on patient organization websites.
learn more about your kidneys
Want to learn more about your kidneys, or if you are at risk of kidney disease, and what you can do to protect yourself? The tools below are the perfect starting point.
Take this one-minute quiz to understand if you are at risk for kidney disease
World Kidney Day’s 8 golden rules help you take good care of your kidneys
Listen to this podcast for a general understanding of kidney health
This guide reviews and explains different clinical trials in a way that helps all readers understand no matter their degree of scientific knowledge
Listen to this podcast to learn more about the KidneyEducation.com project
Find additional resources and information on dialysis in the ISN dialysis toolkit
This resource, available in Chinese, provides information on living positively in all stages of chronic kidney disease. Published by the International Association of Chinese Nephrologists (IACN) and the CUHK Carol & Richard Yu PD Research Centre.
Learn more on how ISN advocates and campaigns for better patient health
More Resources
Miracle Okon
Nigeria
Marion Braks
Belgium, Netherlands, France
Sivia Kumar Raghavan
Malaysia
Hear more from Siva
World Kidney Day is a global campaign aimed at raising awareness of the importance of our kidneys. World Kidney Day returns every year on the second Thursday in March. Every year the theme changes but the mission remains the same. Across the globe, hundreds of events take place, from public screenings in Argentina to Zumba marathons in Malaysia. You can learn more about the campaign by clicking below.
The campaign’s objectives are:
Created in 2021, the ISN’s Patient Liaison Advisory Group represents the inter-continental diversity of kidney patients with one representative from each of the society’s 10 regions. Its mission is to advise and guide the ISN so that the patient perspective becomes embedded within our work shaping health initiatives and research programmes so that they tackle the global burden of kidney disease.
PLAG Activities:
- Collaboration with World Kidney Day (WKD) – Bill Wang, chair of the PLAG, participated in a 2024 World Kidney Day webinar, where he provided the patient perspective on advancing equitable access to care and optimal medication practice.
- PLAG members collaborate with the ISN-ACT Global Trials Focus members on the ISN “Guide for Everyone” series, which explains clinical trials in a way that helps all readers, no matter their degree of scientific knowledge, understand the key points.