On Wordl Kidney day 2020, Fresenius Medical Care's Corporate Social Responsibility program" The Kidney Kid" goes international, empowering chidden and families with tools to help prevent chronic kidney disease from an early age.
Fresenius Medical Care's Corporate Social Responsibility program empowers children and families with tools to help prevent chronic kidney disease from an early age
Fresenius Medical Care, the world’s leading provider of dialysis products and services, has today announced the international and digital expansion of its highly successful Asia Pacific-wide Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, The Kidney Kid superhero. This colorful character takes children on a series of adventures to learn more about their ‘super organ’ kidneys and how to keep them healthy. The expansion of this initiative comes on World Kidney Day, which in 2020, is calling on everyone to advocate for concrete measures in every country to promote and advance kidney disease prevention.
The Kidney Kid was first launched on World Kidney Day across Asia Pacific in 2017. The superhero provides an ‘edutainment’ (education + entertainment) program, including an animated video, interactive learning and physical games aimed at children aged 6 to 12 years. The program can be used in face-to-face activities where children learn while having fun in a group with their teachers or carers.
The campaign will now expand from Asia Pacific into other countries, and is available in multiple languages. The Kidney Kid’s adventures will also move into the digital space through the launch of a free smartphone game app and website. In the free game app, children will take on The Kidney Kid persona, and through a series of challenges that promote physical activity, they will run, jump, fly, swim and dash to collect foods and drinks that support healthy kidneys while helping to solve mysteries in the imaginary town of Whippington.
The Kidney Kid website will enable children to access comics, activities, games and videos that further promote kidney health, and will include resources for teachers and parents.
“We are incredibly proud of the preventative kidney health messages we have been able to share with children over the last three years and the potential for this to positively impact risk factors for kidney disease,” said Harry de Wit, President and CEO of Fresenius Medical Care Asia Pacific.
“Now, it is time to do more. World Kidney Day 2020 alerts us to the fact that one in ten adults has chronic kidney disease (CKD) and that the need to increase awareness of preventative measures is more urgent than ever”.1
Obesity is a risk factor for CKD and its progression, in both adults and children. Worldwide, 380 million children and adolescents are overweight or obese.2 Some degree of renal impairment associated with obesity is believed to start early in childhood, long before the appearance of hypertension, diabetes, and other associated comorbidities.3 This means that lifestyle interventions need to begin at the earliest possible age.
“The key to this initiative,” said Harry de Wit, “is that World Kidney Day is just the beginning, and the new digital Kidney Kid will form part of the company’s ongoing contribution to essential kidney health education”.
To download The Kidney Kid app, please visit the App Store or Google Play and search for ‘Kidney Kid’.
Visit The Kidney Kid website at thekidneykid.org
For further information, please contact:
Dr Alexandra Villar: Alexandra.Villar@fmc-asia.com
References
1. World Kidney Day. 2020 Campaign Toolkit. Available from https://www.worldkidneyday.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/WKD-2020-General_Toolkit-1.pdf. Accessed February 2020.
2. World Health Organization Media Centre, Obesity and overweight fact sheet, updated March 2020. Available from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/
3. Correia-Costa, L., Azevedo, A. and Caldas Afonso, A. (2019). Childhood Obesity and Impact on the Kidney. Nephron Clinical Practice, 143(1), pp.8-11.
IMPACT OF THE KIDNEY KID ASIA PACIFIC INITIATIVE TO DATE
Since its inception in 2017, Fresenius Medical Care has taken The Kidney Kid campaign to schools, pediatric hospitals, shopping malls, parks and orphanages across Asia Pacific, reaching more than 20,000 children, parents and careers in 14 countries. The superhero’s message has been spread even further with over 600 pieces of media coverage, and via children themselves who share the messages with their parents and grandparents, making this a true cross-generational campaign.
Through the launch of a smartpohne game appa nd website, The Kidney Kids's 'edutainment' program will be enhanced and allow chlidren to learn while having fun.
In the free game app, children will take on The Kidney Kid persona to collect foods and drinks that support healthy kidneys while helping to solve mysteries in the imaginary town of Whippinton.
Comics, activities, games and videos that further promote kidnety health and other resources are accessible at The Kidney Kid website for teachers and parents.
