EKHA Open Letter to EU policy makers: 5 key recommendations to improve prevention, treatment & care of Chronic Kidney Disease in the aftermath of COVID-19

On 22 September, EKHA has issued an open letter to ensure that kidney patients’ needs are not overlooked in current negotiations on the various instruments of the EU recovery plan and the overall budget.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the incredibly high vulnerability of CKD patients. Data show that CKD patients are at higher risk for COVID-19 mortality than those with other known risk factors, significant disruptions in access to care were observed during the lockdowns and shortages of dialysis material occurred in some cities. This open letter emphasizes the urgency of addressing the needs of kidney patients through ambitious and robustly funded EU4Health and Horizon Europe programs & urge EU leaders to take forward the below recommendations:

1: Increase funding for innovation in Kidney Replacement Therapies (KRT)

2: Set up an EU-level data collection system on chronic disease including CKD and risk factors

3: Promote best practices that encourage different modes of KRT & better patient choice

4: Support digital transformation of kidney care

5: Augment efforts on CKD prevention & control

The full letter is available here