On 16 January 2024, the European Kidney Health Alliance (EKHA) published its new infographic, “Show your Kidneys Love”.
The infographic outlines our kidneys’ role, the impacts of chronic kidney disease (CKD), key risk factors, and offers insights on ways to prevent CKD. The Show your Kidneys Love campaign draws from the inspirational story of Tina Turner, who leaves both a musical and medical legacy as she recounts her struggle with CKD. In sharing her story, Tina Turner hoped to raise awareness about CKD and the importance of screening and early detection: a simple urine test could prevent dialysis and transplantation!
Discover the infographic here.
Show your kidneys love!
New campaign for kidney health
9 March 2023
EKHA and partners launches new campaign for kidney health : Show your kidneys love!
Worldwide, 700 to 800 million people already suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD), including 1 in 7 Europeans. Many of these patients are undiagnosed as symptoms only appear when the disease is at an advanced stage, yet survival is affected from the very beginning. Kidney disease should be seen as a silent killer. If nothing is done, chronic kidney disease is expected to be the fifth leading cause of death by 2040.
Today on World Kidney Day, we are launching ‘Show your kidneys love’, an awareness-raising campaign drawing special attention to the causes, prevention options, and diagnostics of chronic kidney disease. The campaign is the result of a collaborative effort between the European Kidney Health Alliance, the Dutch Kidney Foundation , the European Kidney Patients’ Federation, the European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association, the European Renal Association and the International Society of Nephrology.
A prominent supporter of the campaign is world star Tina Turner, whom herself suffers from kidney failure due to poorly treated high blood pressure. She says, “I put myself in great danger because I refused to face the reality that I needed daily, lifelong therapy with medication. I believed for far too long that my body was an untouchable and indestructible bastion.”
Tina Turner’s kidney disease story is part of the awareness campaign and is already available to read on the campaign website : showyourkidneyslove.com. Here, patients, interested individuals and policymakers can learn about kidney function and CKD, risk factors and prevention options. The goal is to increase awareness of how important the kidneys are in the overall human complex and the great harm that underlying diseases such as inadequately treated hypertension and diabetes cause. The campaign also aims to increase awareness of kidney disease among EU and national policy makers.
Regrettably, CKD is not considered as a public health emergency at EU level, and current initiatives and policies fail to address its challenges.
The campaign offers policy recommendations on CKD prevention and screening with the firm intention to mitigate the disease’s burden.
- Access the campaign’s website: here
- Read Tina Turner’s testimonial: here
- Read EKPF’s President Daniel Gallego’s testimonial: here
- Read EKHA President Prof. Dr Raymond Vanholder’s interview: here
- Read ERA President Prof. Dr Christoph Wanner’s interview: here
- Read Prof. Dr. Andreas Serra’s interview: here
- Read our policy recommendations: here
For more information please contact:
Today, the European Kidney Health Alliance (EKHA), the Dutch Kidney Foundation (DKF), the European Kidney Patients’ Federation (EKPF), the European Renal Association (ERA), the European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association (EDTNA/ERCA), and the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) pause to reflect on the life and passing of Tina Turner. An unrivalled artist and gifted musician with a legendary career, Tina leaves an inspiring legacy that is not only musical, but medical, as well. Indeed, Tina suffered from kidney disease for many years and received a kidney transplant in 2017.
Forced to navigate the complex realities of kidney disease, Tina Turner’s courageous, selfless decision to share her personal experience of living with a Chronic Kidney Disease provided countless other kidney disease patients with strength and insights that helped them to similarly live with their conditions. In highlighting to many the need to “Show your kidneys love”, Tina played a crucial and invaluable role in raising awareness about the impact of kidney disease on patients’ everyday lives, and about the need to recognize the warning signs of kidney conditions early to ensure timely treatment and better patient outcomes.
All those at EKHA are grateful to Tina Turner for her important role as a member of the kidney disease community, and our thoughts are with Tina’s loved ones during this sad and difficult time.
Prof. Em. Raymond Vanholder, President, EKHA
Mr Tom Oostrom, Director, DKF
Dr Ilaria de Barbieri, President and Scientific Board Chair, EDTNA/ERCA
Mr Daniel Gallego, President, EKPF
Prof. Christoph Wanner, President, ERA
Prof. Masaomi Nangaku, President, ISN
