Angel Awards mark beginning of Kidney Health Week

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PDF printable version of Angel Awards mark beginning of Kidney Health Week (PDF 18 KB)

26 May 2008

Two Operation Angel Awards presented today mark the official launch of Kidney Health Week 2008.

The awards were presented to Barbara Harvie, a renal nurse at Canberra Hospital who works tirelessly for her chronic kidney disease and transplant patients, and Sheila Perryman, a kidney patient who has avoided dialysis for 46 years.

Kidney Health Australia established the awards to honour and recognise the work carried out by hundreds of people who help the more than 14,000 Australians who remain alive because of dialysis and transplantation. They also recognise the commitment of kidney patients’ families, friends and work colleagues.

The theme of Kidney Health Week 2008 is ‘No Warning Signs!’, reflecting the fact that there are often no warning signs for kidney disease.

A person can lose up to 90 per cent of their kidney function before they feel sick. Up to two million Australians could have some form of kidney disease and not know it.

Chronic kidney disease can often be caused by preventable factors such as poor nutrition or lack of physical activity. Reducing kidney disease is closely associated with a reduction in cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

There is a need to focus on people who are most at risk of these conditions, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, for whom the rate of treated end-stage kidney disease is eight times higher than non-Indigenous Australians.

The Australian Government is actively working towards reducing the risk factors that lead to these diseases, including its decision to create the National Preventative Health Taskforce to provide evidence-based advice to governments and health providers on preventive health programs and strategies.

In the recent Budget, the Government announced it would allocate $65.1 million to list sevelamar (Renagel®) and $166.4 million to list cinacalcet (Sensipar®) under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme over four years.

Both drugs can help people suffering with chronic kidney disease.

The Government is also committing new funding of $5.3 million over five years to improve access to dialysis services for remote communities in the Northern Territory. This measure is a response to the fact that the territory has some of the highest rates of kidney disease in the country, particularly among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The Government also committed $7 million to build a renal dialysis unit at the North Lakes Health Precinct in Queensland.

All Australians are urged to take note of the message being promoted this week. We can all do more to live healthier, active lives, and ultimately that can mean avoiding conditions like chronic kidney disease.

Media contact: Mark Ward, 0437 125 938