Webinar on “Kidney Health for All: Caring for People, Protecting the Planet” related to the World Kidney Day

Explore how advocacy, sustainability and lived experience can shape a healthier future for kidneys – and for our planet.

Join EKHA for a dynamic webinar bringing together our Alliance members to:

1. Share key EU advocacy updates, including our upcoming European Parliament kidney event (3 March) – with a focus on kidney inclusion in the EU Safe Hearts Plan and the launch of a European Parliament Kidney Health Resolution; and

2. Exchange tools, ideas and inspiration for World Kidney Day 2026, themed Kidney Health for All – Caring for People, Protecting the Planet

World Kidney Day (WKD) raises global awareness of the vital role kidneys play in overall health and to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide. WKD 2026 is the first since the adoption of the WHO Resolution on Kidney Health, which recognizes World Kidney Day as a powerful advocacy tool at global, regional and national levels.

For WKD 2026, this webinar will explore how climate change and our environment have important impacts on kidney health, and in turn kidney-care impacts the environment. Sustainability is therefore key to protect kidney health and in designing innovations to reduce the carbon footprint of kidney care. Thinking about the planet we must most importantly not lose sight of the individual and their lived experience.

True collaboration, promoted by the activities around WKD – from grassroots action to the WHO and EU – can and must guide advocacy, action and innovation to promote kidney health and sustainable and quality kidney care for everyone, everywhere.

Panelists:
Dr. Dina Abdellatif – Nephrology Consultant, Cairo University Hospital; Co-Chair, World Kidney Day Joint Steering Committee (IFKF-WKA/ISN); Secretary-General & President-Elect, IFKF/WKA
Prof. Raymond Vanholder – Professor Emeritus of Nephrology, Ghent University; EKHA Past President
Prof. Joachim Beige – Head of Nephrology, Kuratorium für Dialyse, Leipzig; expert in Green Nephrology
Daniel. Gallego – Patient advocate and President, European Kidney Patients’ Federation (EKPF); EKHA Board Member

Moderator: Dr. Valerie Luyckx – Co-President of EKHA; Nephrologist, University Children’s Hospital Zurich; advocate for equitable access to quality kidney care worldwide

Dr. Raymond Vanholder

Dr. Vanholder worked mainly on adequacy of dialysis, uremic toxicity, various topics related to clinical nephrology, especially cardio-vascular and infectious complications, and more recently, on socio-economic and environmental aspects of nephrology. He is now retired (Prof Em) at Ghent University, and past president of the European Renal Association and the European Kidney Health Alliance.

Dr. Dina Abdellatif

Dr. Abdellatif is a consultant nephrologist at Cairo University Hospital, Egypt, and currently serves as Secretary-General and President-Elect of the International Federation of Kidney Foundations – World Kidney Alliance (IFKF-WKA). She is also Co-Chair of the World Kidney Day Joint Steering Committee and is actively involved in global advocacy for kidney disease prevention, early detection, and equitable kidney care.

Dr. Joachim Beige

Dr. Beige is a Nephrologist since 25 years, experienced in both scientific and clinical work. He has published more than 150 papers, since 2016 with one focus on sustainability of kidney care. On the other hand, he serves in 2 clinics in direct patient care and as the Medical Director of the largest German non-profit Nephrology provider Kuratorium for Dialysis. Innovating dialysis and other therapies while at the same time connecting patients perspectives to this process is his main goal.

Daniel Gallego

Daniel Gallego is President of the Spanish National Federation of Associations for the Fight against Kidney Diseases (ALCER) since 2018.  He is also the President of the European Kidney Patient`s Federation (EKPF) since 2020. Daniel is a kidney patient since 1993, undergoing hemodialysis since 1995, more than 30 years ago. Nowadays, in home hemodialysis treatment. He had a kidney transplant in 1998, but after early recurrence of his kidney disease, returning to hemodialysis from 2002 until today.