National Event | 23 February 2025 | Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

The World Kidney Day (WKD) 2025 National Event is a collaborative effort between the Malaysian Society of Nephrology (MSN) and the National Kidney Foundation of Malaysia (NKF), with support from Management & Science University (MSU).

This year’s World Kidney Day National event theme, “Are Your Kidneys OK? Detect Early, Protect Kidney Health,” focuses on the early detection of kidney disease. It emphasizes the importance of understanding risk factors, timely testing for at-risk populations, and early intervention to prevent complications.

To reinforce this message, MSN, in partnership with NKF, hosted a forum session titled “Living Well with CKD: Empowering Knowledge & Community Support.” The event was officiated by Dato’ Indera Dr. Nor Azimi binti Yunus, Deputy Director General of Health (Medical), alongside Professor Dr. Lim Soo Kun, President of MSN, and Dr. Thiruventhiran Thilaganathan, Vice Chairman of NKF.

Designed to enhance public awareness and community engagement in kidney health, the forum provided a supportive platform for kidney patients, caregivers, and the general public to share experiences, knowledge, and resources. Participants had the option to attend in person or virtually.

A total of 252 attendees participated in the forum, while the live-streamed session, broadcast on MSN and NKF’s Facebook pages, garnered 15.1K views and over 200 shares. Post-event feedback from more than 400 respondents was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing interest in more frequent sessions and longer event durations.

The forum featured two key sessions, each addressing critical aspects of kidney health and patient support.

The speakers for the first forum session, titled “Navigating a New Normal – Stories of Hope and Resilience from Kidney Patients and Carers,” featured CKD patients and caregivers as speakers; Meldy Koay Seow Hong, Roslini Binti Che Min, Siva Kumar Raghavan, and Muhammad Ridhwan bin Jahidin. The session was moderated by Dr. Tan Li Ping and focused on real-life experiences of individuals navigating life with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The speakers shared insights into understanding and managing CKD, the emotional and practical challenges of caregiving, workplace adaptations, maintaining business resilience while living with CKD, and the serious consequences of neglecting CKD management.

The second forum, titled “Detecting and Preventing CKD: From the Lens of General Practitioners & Family Medicine Specialists,” featured healthcare professionals as speakers. They were Dr. Shanmuganathan Ganesan, Dr. Wong Ping Foo, Dr. Norlen bin Mohamed, and Dr. Loh Chek Loong, with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ruslinda Binti Mustafar as moderator. The forum focused on the challenges of early detection of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the significant role of specialists in providing preventive and promotive care. Speakers highlighted CKD as a growing public health concern and emphasized the need for equitable access to screening and healthcare services. They also discussed the potential of digital health in improving early detection and patient management, as well as strategies to overcome denial and reluctance in seeking CKD treatment. The forum concluded with a strong call to action: “Take control of your health: Prevention starts with you,” and “Get regular health check-ups and screenings: Early detection can save lives.”

Following the forum, a closed-group discussion titled “Malaysia’s CKD Crisis: A Collaborative Strategic Approach to Overcoming Challenges” was held. The session brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from Persatuan Dialisis Hospital Kuala Lumpur, WiraTransplant, the Chinese Kidney Patients Support Group, the Kidney Warriors Support Group, the Donor/Receiver Transplant Support Group, the National Kidney Foundation of Malaysia (NKF), and the Malaysian Society of Nephrology (MSN).

The roundtable discussion aimed to strengthen collaboration between MSN, NKF, and patient advocacy groups, with the primary goal of unifying these organizations under a collective platform to amplify patients’ voices in policy discussions and drive meaningful reforms within the realm of CKD management and care. Moderated by Prof. Lim Soo Kun, President of MSN, the discussion underscored the need for structured advocacy that extends beyond social media, combating misinformation, and advocating for equitable and patient-centered healthcare system. Through these strategic partnerships, we aim to build a strong, unified advocacy network that empowers everyone committed to the fight against CKD.

From Left, Professor Dr. Lim Soo Kun, Dato’ Indera Dr. Nor Azimi binti Yunus, Deputy Director General of Health (Medical) and President of the Malaysian Society of Nephrology, and Dr. Thiruventhiran Thilaganathan, Vice Chairman of the National Kidney Foundation.

Closed-group discussion titled “Malaysia’s CKD Crisis: A Collaborative Strategic Approach to Overcoming Challenges