ABOUT SKCF

The Sustainable Kidney Care Foundation was organized as a public charity in the USA with the mission to “provide treatment for kidney injury where none exists”. Our vision is to reduce mortality from treatable acute kidney injury (AKI). We focus on saving women of childbearing age and children, especially those under 5 years of age.

These goals are consistent with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030.

SDG 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages (1)

3.1 By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births

3.2 By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births

3.3 By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases

3.4 By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being

1. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld

SKCF also supports training in care and research for those involved in the delivery of kidney care in parts of the world where little or no local treatment is available.

SKCF works very closely with the major professional organizations, the International Society of Nephrology, the International Pediatric Nephrology Association, and the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis, academia and industry to promote kidney awareness, education, prevention and treatment.

SKCF Founders:

• 

  Mary Malewicz- Carter, PhD, MBA, MPH
  Executive Director

• John Callegari, PhD, MBA, MPH
  Chief Operating Officer

• Nathan W. Levin, MD
  Medical Officer

First AKI Treatment Program in KCMC, Moshi, Tanzania

The town of Moshi sits in the foothills of the spectacular Mt. Kilimanjaro, where the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC) is located. In 2009 a team of doctors, surgeon, nurses and lab technologist descended on KCMC to treat the first patient with reversible acute kidney injury using a simple, gravity driven treatment called peritoneal dialysis (PD). The supplies were shipped from Germany to the port of Dar es Salaam and transported by truck 545 km (345 mi) to Moshi. One of the patients was a young woman who just delivered a baby and suffered AKI from transient high blood pressure. With the treatment provided she was able to leave the hospital 6 days later and care for her newborn baby boy.

Since then KCMC has their own kidney doctor (nephrologist) who completed his training in Cape Town, South Africa and nephrology nurses. Future nephrologists are currently in training. In 2016 KCMC has built a 5 station hemodialysis clinic with funding provided by the Ministry of Health. Kidney treatment (dialysis) is now included in the National Health Insurance program which covers government workers and the military. Several privately managed Micro Health Insurance programs enable members of rural communities to have access to kidney treatment. This has been an exemplary program, fulfilling all the expectations set forth by SKCF.