Ensuring adequate funding for kidney research and promoting innovation

Kidney disease affects 37 million Americans — far more than many other diseases. Yet federally funded research for kidney disease has lagged compared with many other diseases. This has slowed innovation in the diagnosis and treatment of a disease that is the fastest-growing noncommunicable disease in the United States.

To address the underfunding of kidney disease research, AKF supports efforts to:

• Increase appropriations funding for the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK), which is a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIDDK conducts and supports medical research and research training and disseminates science-based information on kidney diseases.
• Increase funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Chronic Kidney Disease Initiative, which is designed to provide public health strategies for promoting kidney health.

• Increase funding for KidneyX, the Kidney Innovation Accelerator Program, a public-private partnership to accelerate innovation in preventing, diagnosing and treating kidney diseases.