New screening programme in Wales
Working in partnership with NHS Wales and Diabetes UK Cymru, and in consultation with Kidney Wales, we’re spearheading a new project to screen for and prevent chronic kidney disease (CKD) in people with diabetes in Wales with existing kidney patients empowering at-risk patients.
The problem
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure in the UK – people with diabetes are four times more likely to need either kidney dialysis or a kidney transplant – and it is highly prevalent in South Asian and socio-economically deprived communities. When recognised early, kidney disease in people with diabetes can be effectively slowed down, thereby improving quality of life and delaying or preventing the transition to kidney failure.
The solution
Trained peer educators from local communities will use co-designed materials to raise awareness of CKD and the need for early detection, monitoring and prevention. At risk but asymptomatic patients with diabetes will be encouraged and supported to use smartphone albuminuria testing kits. If albumin (a type of protein) is detected in urine, it can indicate that the kidneys are damaged.
What this might mean for kidney patients
The project aims to reduce the impact of diabetic kidney disease within South Asian communities and socio-economically deprived communities in Cardiff and Newport.
Our health equalities programme manager, Neerja Jain, said: “We are excited to have had such a positive response from these key organisations to our proposals to drive new strategies to support better detection of CKD in at risk communities. This is the first project of its kind in Wales.”
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