Kidney Health Australia Sends Silent
Killer To Canberra
Kidney
Health Australia has launched a major community
awareness campaign in Australia on
Chronic Kidney Disease with a series
of web based videos including statements
from two of the world's leading authorities
on the disease known as the Silent Killer.
The
release of the 'Operation Silent Killer' videos
follow an international Kidney Health Summit
in Melbourne in the past two days aimed at providing
a bi partisan focus on the issue of Chronic
Kidney Disease policy.
Anne
Wilson, CEO of Kidney Health Australia
said the videos, to be distributed to every
Member of State and Federal Parliament via email
, are aimed at providing decision makers with
the best possible advice in the world on developing
better policies for managing Chronic Kidney
Disease in Australia.
"We believe Wayne Swan as the Federal Treasurer
and the Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey will be
interested in the approach of the US Congress
which is spending $100 billion a year out of
its Medicare Budget to cut the economic impact
of Chronic Kidney Disease in the United States,
or why the UK has appointed a Director of Kidney
Health for England.
1. Dr DONAL O'DONOGHUE
- National Director for Kidney
Care in England Donal who chairs the National
Service Framework for renal services and leads
the policy team and implementation strategy
for kidney services in England. This has included
aligning kidney policy with public health and
vascular risk reduction programs, early detection
schemes, integrated care and development of
a chronic disease management model of care for
advanced kidney disease.
2. Professor ALLAN
COLLINS - An expert in chronic
kidney disease clinical and economic outcomes,
Dr. Collins is President of the National Kidney
Foundation. 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) CoordinatingCenter
of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Dr. Collins manages all data resulting from
the NKF's KEEP screening programs nationwide
as the Director of the KEEP Coordinating Center.
Ms Wilson said the experience and directions
of health authorities worldwide bring into
question the fragmented approach to Chronic
Kidney Disease in Australia and raise an urgent
need for the development of a National CKD
Taskforce which could benefit with involvement
of overseas experts to speed up policy development.
"Australia is cooperating on economic crisis
policies with the US and UK internationally,
it is reasonable to expect the same approach
be taken on advice on CKD health policies
especially when it can help patients and protect
Australia from billions of dollars of Dialysis
Debt."
Media Enquiries:
Anne Wilson Chief Executive Kidney Health Australia
Mobile: 0400 165 391
Ron Smith National Communications Manager
Kidney Health Australia
Mobile: 0417 329 201
