Fresenius Medical Care has partnered with the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Malaysia to promote kidney health and the prevention of chronic kidney disease amongst children and their families in Malaysia. The partnership comes as a result of the growing number of kidney failure cases and the urgent need to educate Malaysians about prevention from an early age.
Through the collaboration, the organizations will leverage Fresenius Medical Care’s international Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, The Kidney Kid, to provide education and entertainment about kidney health to children and their carers.
Starting this October, Fresenius Medical Care and NKF Malaysia will embark on a wide range of activities that include collaborating with schools and institutes to activate The Kidney Kid initiative with the overarching message of preventing chronic kidney disease (CKD).
“We are delighted that we can now further extend our superhero’s reach through our collaboration with the National Kidney Foundation, where we will work together to help build healthier communities in Malaysia,” said Mr. Pradeep Ranjan, Managing Director of Fresenius Medical Care Malaysia.
“The Kidney Kid represents Fresenius Medical Care’s commitment to building awareness of kidney health and assisting prevention of CKD in the diverse communities we serve. Through this initiative, we have already reached over 60,000 children with our on-site events across the Asia Pacific region, and are now reaching more children globally.
The Kidney Kid was first launched in Asia Pacific on World Kidney Day in 2017 and has now grown to become a global success story that is bridging the gap to better kidney health knowledge and behaviors. As a comprehensive ‘edutainment’ (education + entertainment) program, the colorful superhero is on a mission to help children learn more about their ‘super organs’, the kidneys, through a series of exciting adventures.
Ms. Khor Xin Yun, Chief Executive Officer of NKF Malaysia, commented on the organization's honor that Fresenius Medical Care Malaysia has come forward to assist NKF in our public education and CKD prevention programs.
“Every year, more than 8000 Malaysians are diagnosed with kidney failure, with a total of 44,000 currently on dialysis. We believe this partnership, specifically with The Kidney Kid initiative, will provide crucial information on kidney health for children and their carers in a fun and interactive way.”
Since its inception, The Kidney Kid has created countless opportunities to foster the exchange of kidney health knowledge between children, parents, teachers, communities and healthcare professionals.
During the early years of the program, the superhero made an appearance as a full-sized mascot at a Malaysian orphanage, engaging children with interactive physical games, storytelling videos and animations and a healthy lunch.