Your voice: Making the needs of kidney patients a priority during the COVID-19 pandemic

Since the start of the pandemic, National Kidney Foundation staff and volunteers have been working around the clock in partnership with government officials and healthcare providers to ensure that kidney patients received the care and the resources needed to stay safe and healthy.

Together, the nation's largest kidney patient and professional organizations urged the Administration to address the unique needs of kidney patients as the country reopens. NKF and the American Society of Nephrology (ASN), who together represent 37 million Americans affected by kidney disease and the physicians who care for them, called upon the Administration to implement a set of recommendations regarding COVID-19 testing, supplies and vaccinations, dialysis, elective surgeries, organ donation, transplantation, and drug supplies.

The recommendations included ensuring that kidney patients, their families and clinicians have adequate access to personal protective equipment, priority access to COVID-19 testing, and early access to a vaccine once developed. Finally, we encouraged the safe resumption of organ transplantation surgeries, which had significantly declined during the pandemic. The letter followed a successful petition with nearly 10,000 signatures calling on our public officials to make sure these most vulnerable Americans are prioritized over the coming months.

Learn more about policies to protect kidney patients on our Advocacy in Action blog.