March AKF eNewsletter 

In this issue:
Living Donor Protection  Report Card | Request a proclamation in your state for AMKD Awareness Day | Register for Kidney Action Week | Kidney Month blog | Action Alert: Support kidney screenings at yearly physicals | Kidney disease in the news | Recipe: Empanadas

See your state’s grade on the Living Donor Protection Report Card

AKF is proud to release its fourth annual State of the States: Living Donor Protection Report Card. Receiving a kidney from a living donor is the best option for someone in need of a new kidney. Unfortunately, there is an uneven patchwork of legal protections for living donors across the nation, and some states provide little to no protection at all.

The 2024 Report Card highlights the critical need for state and federal legislation to ensure living donors are protected when they donate an organ and give someone the gift of life.

AMKD Awareness Day is next month! Request a proclamation in your state

The American Kidney Fund (AKF) is excited to share the news that April 30 will be recognized for the first time as APOL1-Mediated Kidney Disease (AMKD) Awareness Day. As part of this inaugural effort, AKF is building awareness of AMKD, a rapidly progressive form of genetic kidney disease, through official proclamations throughout the country. 

Learn more about this effort and request a proclamation from your governor today.

Kidney Action Week kicks off in less than a week!

Kidney Action Week is next Monday and registration is open! This annual, week-long event brings the entire kidney community together for engaging and informative sessions to support kidney health. It is free and 100% virtual, so you can attend from anywhere you happen to be.

It’s Kidney Month! See how we’re fighting kidney disease all month long

This year, we're putting action into Kidney Month, with 31 days of action that will focus on equipping and empowering people with the tools and resources they need to fight kidney disease and prioritize their kidney health.

Check out this Kidney Today blog post to see what we have in store for the rest of Kidney Month.

Action Alert: Tell your representative to support regular kidney screenings at physicals

Members of the United States House of Representatives have written a letter in support of policy that could make kidney screening standard as part of a normal annual physical. Regular kidney disease screenings would give patients an early diagnosis so they would be able to make lifestyle changes or take medications that could help them avoid or delay kidney failure and dialysis.

Please ask your representative to sign onto this important letter.

Kidney disease in the news

In this digest, you will find some headlines you may have missed that we feel are worth sharing:

• Congress must restore vital protections for kidney care patients (The Hill)
• FLOW: Semaglutide slows CKD progression, cuts risks for kidney, CV death in diabetes (Healio)
• Insights Into Living Kidney Donor Health, Racial Disparities (Renal + Urology News)
• Florida woman donates kidney to stranger, marries recipient’s brother after meeting in hospital (Click Orlando)
• Too many donor organs go to waste. Here’s how to get them into the patients who need them (STAT)

Recipe: Empanadas

Recipe Contributed by Satelitte Healthcare

Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 40 min

Delicious and full of flavor these empanadas are made with lean ground beef, zucchinis, and tomatoes and are sure to be a tasty addition to your recipe repertoire.

AKF is committed to providing the kidney community with the latest resources to educate and empower people with kidney disease to receive the best care on their kidney journey. Our ongoing work is made possible by our generous donors and sponsors. Learn how you can join our community of supporters here.