March is Kidney Health Month

Educating and Empowering Canadians to Prevent and Manage Kidney Disease

TORONTO, March 1 /CNW/ - During Kidney Health Month dedicated Canadians from across the country work to raise awareness of the importance of kidney health. This March, Shire Canada Inc. is renewing last year's inaugural partnership with The Kidney Foundation of Canada in support of The Kidney Stories of Hope campaign (www.kidney.ca/storiesofhope). This unique initiative directly engages Canadians and offers persons affected by kidney disease a chance to promote kidney education and research by sharing their personal experiences.

Educating Canadians about the risk factors associated with kidney disease is an important priority for The Kidney Foundation of Canada, as well as health professional organizations such as the Canadian Society of Nephrology (CSN) and the Canadian Association of Nephrology Nurses and Technologists (CANNT).

"Ongoing research to ensure early detection, prevention and treatment of kidney disease is vital to reducing the burden on individuals and the Canadian health care system," said Paul Shay, National Executive Director of The Kidney Foundation of Canada. "The Kidney Stories of Hope campaign is a proactive way of seeking out the voices of Canadians who can act as a testament to the impact of taking positive action where kidney disease is concerned."

"Over the past 50 years, we have witnessed great success in the treatment of kidney failure with dialysis and transplantation. Patients are not receiving a death sentence when they experience kidney failure," says Dr. Barbara Ballermann, President of the Canadian Society of Nephrology. "Nonetheless, we know that kidney failure could have been prevented in nearly half of all patients currently treated with dialysis or kidney transplantation. Attention to salt intake, prevention of diabetes and treatment of high blood pressure are essential."

The Canadian Association of Nephrology Nurses and Technologists (CANNT) plays a pivotal role in developing and promoting standards of care for all nephrology patients. CANNT members are dedicated to teaching and supporting patients to make informed decisions when it comes to self-management of kidney disease. "Every day in Canada roughly 14 people are diagnosed with kidney failure," says Jan Baker, RN, and CANNT board past-president. "As nephrology nurses and technologists, our goals are not only the provision of quality patient care but most importantly providing education and support to our patients and their families. We have the unique opportunity to interact and develop long-term relationships with our patients, provide education regarding options for treatment and collaborate with our patients in order to assist them to make their own decisions about what they want in their care."

Over $3 million in financial support from Shire Canada is helping leading Canadian researchers and scientists make progress in improving kidney disease prevention and quality of care. Shire Canada has provided an unrestricted grant to The Kidney Foundation of Canada in support of The Kidney Stories of Hope campaign. For details on the campaign, or to find out if you are at risk for kidney disease, visit www.kidney.ca.

About Kidneys

Every minute, one litre of blood (about one fifth of all the blood pumped by the heart) enters the kidneys through the renal artery to be cleaned, then flows back through the body. Kidneys regulate water in the body, remove wastes and produce hormones to regulate body functions such as blood pressure and red blood cell production.

About The Kidney Foundation of Canada

The Kidney Foundation of Canada is the national volunteer organization committed to reducing the burden of kidney disease through funding and stimulating innovative research; providing education and support; promoting access to high quality healthcare; and increasing public awareness and commitment to advancing kidney health and organ donation. March is Kidney Health Month across Canada. Volunteer canvassers from The Kidney Foundation will be going door-to-door to raise awareness and funds for research and programs to help people living with kidney disease. www.kidney.ca

About Canadian Society of Nephrology (CSN)

The CSN is a society of physicians and scientists specializing in the care of people with kidney disease, and in research related to the kidney and kidney disease. The CSN promotes the highest quality of care for patients with renal diseases by setting high standards for medical training and education, and by encouraging research related to the kidney, kidney disorders and renal replacement therapies. www.csnscn.ca

About Canadian Association of Nephrology Nurses and Technologists (CANNT)

CANNT is a professional organization that provides leadership and promotes the best nephrology care and practice through education, research and communications. We are nurses and technologists involved in the specialized care of nephrology patients working in a variety of geographical locations, in hospitals, off-site facilities, satellite centres and in community centres. We care for patients and actively include family and others in the care process. www.cannt.ca

About Shire

Shire's strategic goal is to become the leading specialty biopharmaceutical company that focuses on meeting the needs of the specialist physician. Shire focuses its business on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), human genetic therapies (HGT), gastrointestinal (GI) diseases and kidney disease as well as opportunities in other therapeutic areas to the extent they arise through acquisitions. Shire's in-licensing, merger and acquisition efforts are focused on products in specialist markets with strong intellectual property protection and global rights. Shire believes that a carefully selected and balanced portfolio of products with strategically aligned and relatively small-scale sales forces will deliver strong results. Shire Canada Inc. is a subsidiary of Shire plc. Shire Canada Inc.'s operations are headquartered in Montréal, Québec.

For further information on Shire Canada, please visit the Company's website: www.shirecanada.com.

For further information: Kristina Rikunova, Argyle Communications, [phone] ext. 243, [email protected]; Irene Aguzzi, Manager, National Public Affairs, The Kidney Foundation of Canada, [phone] ext. 227, [email protected]