The Kidney Kid Superhero Initiative Goes International on World Kidney Day
March 12 2020 - 4:52AM
Business Wire
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.
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On World Kidney Day 2020, Fresenius
Medical Care’s Corporate Social Responsibility program “The Kidney
Kid” goes international, empowering children and families with
tools to help prevent chronic kidney disease from an early age.
(Graphic: Business Wire)
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
References
- 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.
- World Health Organization Media Centre, Obesity and overweight
fact sheet, updated March 2020. Available from
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/
- 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 carers 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.
ABOUT FRESENIUS MEDICAL CARE
Fresenius Medical Care is the world's leading provider of
products and services for individuals with renal diseases of which
around 3.5 million patients worldwide regularly undergo dialysis
treatment. Through its network of 3,994 dialysis clinics, Fresenius
Medical Care provides dialysis treatments for 345,096 patients
around the globe. Fresenius Medical Care is also the leading
provider of dialysis products such as dialysis machines or
dialyzers. Along with the core business, the company focuses on
expanding the range of related medical services in the field of
Care Coordination. Fresenius Medical Care is listed on the
Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FME) and on the New York Stock Exchange
(FMS).
For more information visit the company’s website at
www.freseniusmedicalcare.asia
DISCLAIMER
This release contains forward-looking statements that are
subject to various risks and uncertainties. Actual results could
differ materially from those described in these forward-looking
statements due to various factors, including, but not limited to,
changes in business, economic and competitive conditions, legal
changes, regulatory approvals, results of clinical studies, foreign
exchange rate fluctuations, uncertainties in litigation or
investigative proceedings, and the availability of financing. These
and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in Fresenius Medical
Care AG & Co. KGaA's reports filed with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA does
not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking
statements in this release.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200312005270/en/
Dr. Alexandra Villar Vice President Corporate Communications and
Branding Asia Pacific Fresenius Medical Care T +61 2 9466
8020 Alexandra.Villar@fmc-asia.com
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