An overview and welcome from Chair Prof Sunil Bhandari
The UKKA International Committee was formed in 2004, and currently, I am hugely privileged to be the current Chair. Our overriding vision is to contribute to global kidney care health, share experiences and knowledge and focus on reducing the inequalities in health.
Our goal is to empower members of UKKA to contribute to developing sustainable growth in kidney services, infrastructure and expertise in medium and low-income countries, through education, training, mentorship and research. I believe this approach not only addresses immediate healthcare challenges but also fosters future generations of healthcare professionals in nephrology.
We work in collaboration with the ISN to enhance its collaborations with the third world to offer its expertise and share knowledge and experience. Many UKKA members have done and continue to do fantastic work in collaboration with the ISN and many others. Successes include the UK Sister Units Program such as that led by Prof Ibi Erekosimo from Salford as an example. He held a joint meeting at the University Hospital Port Harcourt Nigeria with nephrologists, primary care doctors, nurses, community health workers and has an ongoing partnership in peritoneal dialysis development.
I have been fortunate to develop a joint collaborative meeting with the Jordanian Society of Nephrology and Arab Society of Nephrology in 2022, invited several UK Nephrologists to the meeting in Jordan to provide an opportunity to exchange knowledge and expertise and network. More recently I visited the Chinese Society of Nephrology in 2024 to discuss our UKKA anaemia guidelines in the ancient city of Xi’an.
Again, in 2024 had the fortune to visit India and attend KIMSHEALTH Annual Internal Medicine Update in Thiruvananthapuram, India to talk on infections in transplants with my role as Vice President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. This was an opportunity to again network with fellow nephrologists.
Our successful case-based virtual meetings and half-day symposia led by Charlotte Snead, a renal trainee and researcher have attracted a large audience, and we are keen for others to join in and develop further. Recent collaborations have included Brazil, Australia, and Tanzania and we are planning another with Ukraine. Importantly there is a certificate for attendees and speakers to add to their portfolios for CPD.
Catherine Maine (dialysis nurse) is helping us collaborate with the Kenya Renal Association (Johnathan Wala and Mary Kubo) and Africa Healthcare Network (Dr Lloyd Vincent and Dr Mazhar) to help vaccinate dialysis patients in the capital city, Nairobi as an initial pilot and cascade out in addition to offering a teaching program. This exemplifies our commitment to both skill-building and equitable healthcare access, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Finally, and critically important, is the Medical Trainee Initiative (MTI) scheme. I am keen to attract more overseas trainees to come and train for a period of up to two years in the UK (to provide skills and knowledge to take home) and give our UK trainees (including established consultants) and allied health care workers the opportunities to make a valuable contribution by going abroad.