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The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP), the nation’s largest fully independent kidney patient organization, today announced that given the serious threat posed by the Coronavirus to the kidney patient community, they are encouraging all patients and their families to avoid unnecessary travel, including all planned travel to Washington, D.C. during National Kidney Month in March and for the immediate future. Historically, hundreds of kidney patients and their families travel to the nation’s capital to discuss policies related to patient care choice and medical innovation with White House and Congressional officials.

March is the month when Americans and the U.S. Congress are asked to focus on kidney disease, a condition that impacts 40 million people, with an additional 700,000 suffering from kidney failure. The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) is raising its voice against a silent killer throughout March. Founded in 1969, AAKP is the oldest and largest, fully independent patient-led, kidney patient organization in the U.S. This March marks the first National Kidney Month in AAKP’s Decade of the Kidney™ Initiative.

Tampa, FL – The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP), the oldest and largest fully independent kidney patient organization in the U.S., which is also headquartered locally in Tampa, FL, will hold a Fun Walk on Saturday, December 7, 2019 at Lowry Park in Tampa. Join in to make a difference for kidney patients worldwide!

Participants were invited to offer recommendations for the AAKP initiated Decade of the Kidney™, a ten-year national and international effort starting in 2020 designed to intensify the focus of policy-makers, researchers and the private sector on a broad, patient-focused agenda targeting kidney diseases, new care innovations and an aggressive expansion of patient care choice. AAKP unveiled Decade of the Kidney™ at its June 20, 2019 National Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. Interest in Decade of the Kidney™ has accelerated since both President Donald Trump’s signing of the Executive Order on Advancing American Kidney Health and AAKP’s accompanying joint statement of support for the Trump Administration’s kidney actions by AAKP leaders, President Richard Knight and Chair of Policy and Global Affairs, Paul T. Conway.

Richard Knight, AAKP President and a kidney transplant recipient, stated “If you are a kidney patient or the loved one of a kidney patient anywhere; this event is a unique opportunity to listen, meet and talk to some of the top experts in America about kidney disease prevention, transplantation, and dialysis care. It’s also an opportunity to be part of history as AAKP will highlight the goals of the recently announced Executive Order on Advancing American Kidney Health and share how patients can and should play a role in the long-term success of this milestone initiative.”