Mobile Community Kidney Health Awareness and Screening Programme
A well-known charity to run a number of roadshows at shopping centres, venues and South Asian festivals in a bid to raise awareness of Chronic Kidney Disease amongst ethnic minority communities.
Kidney Research UK intend to run at least 12 “roadshows” at sites such as shopping centres, sports & leisure venues, melas and business parks during Spring 2012.
Locations will include: Bristol, Cardiff, London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast.
The organisation want to send a mobile unit into a number of inner city locations to offer free kidney health checks, testing, and information and advice, and, where necessary, referral to GPs or hospital. It will be staffed by nurses and volunteers recruited from local communities.
The charity said, “The aim of this initiative is to reach out to as many people as possible, but particularly those of South Asian or of Afro Caribbean (where there is a higher incidence of High Blood Pressure) origin, the elderly and the young, and those from the lowest social and economic circumstances, in tackle kidney disease at the earliest possible stage and so prevent future serious illness, premature death and hardship.”
Previous research and pilot projects have shown the charity that there are particular groups within society who are at greater risk of developing Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), and that many of them are not aware of this.
People of South Asian origin are at greater risk because they have a higher incidence of diabetes, and worryingly, those who have diabetes, are 10 times more likely to develop CKD than a white person with diabetes.
Kidney Research UK’s work has also shown that the best way of reaching these groups is to use “peer educators” from their own communities to help disseminate information and answer questions.
If you know of anybody who may be interested in supporting this project please contact Joanna Brzuzgo at Kidney Research UK on 01733 367867, or by email joannabrzuzgo@kidneyresearchuk.org.
