One of the world's leading authorities on Kidney Disease visiting Australia for a series of lectures and discussions on Chronic Kidney Disease in the lead up to World Kidney Day said more than 500 million people worldwide - or about one adult in ten - have some form of kidney damage.

Professor Allan Collins, the Director and Principal Investigator for the U.S. Renal Data System Co- ordinating Center and a board member of the International Kidney Foundation Scientific Committee said every year millions die prematurely of heart attacks and strokes linked to chronic kidney disease (CKD).

The biggest challenge for health authorities and the community was the fact that people can lose up to 90% of the use of the Kidneys without feeling a thing.

Professor Collins said,"National Kidney Foundations of the US had tested over 100,000 high risk Americans for Chronic Kidney Disease in the past ten years through its Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP).

"Only six hundred people out of thirty thousand found to have Chronic Kidney Disease knew they were even at risk prior to attending a screening."

Without a national screening program of high risk patients for Chronic Kidney Disease Government Health Planners are flying blind on providing budgets and facilities.

"The KEEP program in the US delivers a valuable patient service as well as an excellent opportunity for patient and physician education.

"The data is collected and published annually as well as being easily accessible to researchers.

"This data is also used to provide the government and health policy makers with evidence that kidney disease is common, harmful and treatable."

Anne Wilson CEO of Kidney Health Australia said, "Professor Collins will visit Roxby Downs on Wednesday 27 February, 2008 to view Australia's first National screening program KEY - 'Kidney Evaluation for You'.

Kidney Health Australia with the support of the Federal Government and BHP Billiton has organised KEY - 'Kidney Evaluation for You', an early detection program to evaluate kidney function, cardiovascular health and diabetes in high risk individuals.

ALLAN J. COLLINS, MD

An expert in chronic kidney disease clinical and economic outcomes, Dr. Collins is President of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) in the USA. He is Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, MN. He also serves as Director of the Chronic Disease Research Group of the Minneapolis Medical Research Foundation and as Principal Investigator for the U.S. Renal Data System (USRDS) Coordinating Center of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Collins manages all data resulting from the NKF's Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP) screening programs nationwide as the Director of the KEEP Coordinating Center. He has participated in major disaster relief programs such as the Armenian earthquake relief in 1988 and is part of the disaster assistance response team for the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance.

Note: Alan Collins is in Adelaide Monday and Tuesday.

Media Enquiries: To arrange an Interview with Professor Allan Collins please call Anne Wilson CEO Kidney Health Australia Mobile: 0400 165 391