Initiative aims to promote awareness, screening and early detection for chronic kidney disease to eliminate barriers and disparities facing marginalized communities
(WASHINGTON, D.C., September 10, 2024) The National Kidney Foundation (NKF), a leading non-profit organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention, and treatment of kidney disease, and Healthy.io, the developer of the first at-home, smartphone powered FDA-cleared kidney test, are proud to announce their participation in the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's (CBCF) Annual Legislative Conference (ALC), taking place from Wednesday, September 11, 2024, through Sunday, September 15, 2024, in Washington, D.C. The CBCF Annual Legislative Conference is the leading policy conference on issues impacting African Americans and the global Black community.
As part of their ongoing commitment to reduce the burden of kidney disease within high-risk populations, the NKF and Healthy.io will be hosting a series of screening and awareness activities throughout the conference.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is treatable when detected early, but mortality rates are on the rise in recent years. The African American community and other marginalized populations suffer from the disease disproportionately. Black Americans are almost four times as likely as white Americans to develop kidney failure. Systemic barriers to care including lack of awareness and access pose challenges to early identification, leading to the fact that currently, 90% of the 35 million Americans with CKD are unaware of their disease. Improved awareness for people at risk, along with early and equitable detection of CKD, now made more accessible through FDA-cleared at-home testing, is key to changing the kidney health equity trajectory.
"Raising awareness about the critical importance of early kidney disease detection is a key focus for us at this year’s Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference," said Jesse Roach, MD, Senior Vice President of Government Relations for the National Kidney Foundation. “Promoting kidney health equity and expanding access to early detection are top priorities for our organization, and new technology is helping us reach more at-risk people every day."
On-Site Testing and Education Initiatives
NKF and Healthy.io will offer free testing to conference visitors using Healthy.io’s Minuteful Kidney™ test kits, the first FDA-cleared, at-home urine albumin-creatinine ratio (uACR) test for CKD. Kits will be distributed on Thursday, September 12th. The exhibition hall will also dedicate time to drive awareness and education around CKD. These activities aim to educate policy makers and attendees about kidney disease and provide accessible resources for early detection and prevention. During the event, test kits will be distributed to any interested eligible attendees, allowing participants to use their smartphones for real-time clinical-grade testing and to receive instant results about their kidney function.
“Far too often, Black Americans die of chronic kidney disease due to inequities in our healthcare system and lack of awareness. I’m so grateful for NKF and Healthy.io for providing free screenings at our Annual Legislative Conference this year,” said Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02). “At our conference, we’re not just discussing issues that impact Black communities — we are offering solutions and dismantling barriers right on site. These screenings will help build healthier Black communities.”
About Kidney Disease
In the United States, 35 million adults are estimated to have kidney disease, also known as chronic kidney disease (CKD)—and approximately 90 percent don’t know they have it. 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. are at risk for kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. Black or African American people are more than four times as likely as White Americans to have kidney failure.
“Kidney disease is a public health crisis, and a contributing factor is that not enough people are being tested in those critical stages when the progression of the disease can be stopped. The inequitable burden of the disease on Black Americans does not have to be the status quo. We are proud to provide innovation that can make testing easy and accessible to populations that need it most,” said Geoff Martin, CEO of Healthy.io. “NKF’s dedication to raising awareness and shedding light on the inequities around kidney care has helped millions of kidney patients and their families and we are proud to partner with them in this important initiative.”
About the National Kidney Foundation
The National Kidney Foundation is revolutionizing the fight to save lives by eliminating preventable kidney disease, accelerating innovation for the dignity of the patient experience, and dismantling structural inequities in kidney care, dialysis and transplantation. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org
About Healthy.io
Healthy.io is a global leader in transforming the smartphone camera into a medical device. The company's at-home urinalysis services enable providers and healthcare systems to reach high-risk, previously untested individuals and help close care gaps. Healthy.io partners with leading health insurers and providers to integrate Minuteful Kidney™ in their kidney management programs. Minuteful Kidney™ is marketed commercially across the United States and the United Kingdom and is the only FDA-cleared, smartphone-powered at-home kidney test that allows patients to take the test in the privacy of their homes and receive immediate clinical-grade results. The service removes the barriers associated with traditional lab testing and averts the road to dialysis. For more information about Healthy.io, visit www.healthy.io
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