European Kidney Forum 2015 – Sustainable Kidney Care: Is it possible?

In the first edition of the 2015 European Kidney Forum, European kidney stakeholders gathered to share experiences and discuss the burden of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), its sustainable management whilst assuring patients receive quality care. The European Kidney Forum launched in context of the upcoming EU initiative on chronic diseases, the launch of an MEP interest group on access to healthcare and promising developments in the field of the European Reference Networks. Following presentations, it was agreed that there was significant opportunities for improvement in disease prevention strategies and early detection programmes and that Europe has a role to play. The European Commission’s DG Sante, Albrecht Werner confirmed the Commission’s willingness to take a greater stance on prevention and cooperate with stakeholders in this field. To this end, EKHA contributed to the EU Action on Chronic Diseases through the European Chronic Disease Alliance and disseminated Recommendations for Sustainable Kidney Care amongst policy makers and health stakeholders to influence the EU policy on behalf of European kidney patients. Host MEP Karin Kadenbach and chair of MEP Group for Kidney Health committed to maximizing activities within the European Parliament to reinforce the support of the kidney health cause within the institutions.