Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh, International Federation of Kidney Foundation–World Kidney Alliance (IFKF-WKA), Division of Nephrology and Hypertension and Kidney Transplantation, University of California Irvine, Orange, California, USA
Philip Kam-Tao Li, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Carol and Richard Yu PD Research Centre, Prince of Wales Hospital, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Ekamol Tantisattamo, Division of Nephrology, Hypertension and Kidney Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, California, USA
Latha Kumaraswami, Tanker Foundation, Chennai, India
Vassilios Liakopoulos, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, First Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Siu-Fai Lui, Hong Kong Kidney Foundation and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations–World Kidney Alliance, Hong Kong, China
Ifeoma Ulasi, Renal Unit, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria
Sharon Andreoli, James Whitcomb RileyHospital for Children, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA
Alessandro Balducci, Italian Kidney Foundation, Rome, Italy
Sophie Dupuis, World Kidney Day Office, Brussels, Belgium
Tess Harris, Polycystic Kidney Disease Charity and Kidney Patients UK, London, UK
Anne Hradsky, World Kidney Day Office, Brussels, Belgium
Richard Knight, American Association of Kidney Patients, Tampa, Florida, USA
Sajay Kumar, Tanker Foundation, Chennai, India
Maggie Ng, Hong Kong Kidney Foundation, Hong Kong, China
Alice Poidevin, World Kidney Day Office, Brussels, Belgium
Gamal Saadi, Nephrology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
Allison Tong, Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
for the World Kidney Day Steering Committee,

Living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with hardships for patients and their care partners. Empowering patients and their care partners, including family members and friends involved in their care, may help minimize the burden and consequences of CKD-related symptoms to enable increased life participation. There is a need to broaden the focus on living well with kidney disease and reengagement in life, including emphasis on the patient being in control. The World Kidney Day (WKD) Joint Steering Committee has declared 2021 the year of “Living Well with Kidney Disease” in an effort to increase education about and awareness of the important goal of patient empowerment and life participation. This calls for the development and implementation of validated patient-reported outcome measures to assess and address areas of life participation in routine care. It could be supported by regulatory agencies as a metric for quality care or to support labeling claims for medicines and devices. Funding agencies could establish targeted calls for research that address the priorities of patients. Patients with kidney disease and their care partners should feel supported to live well through concerted efforts by kidney care communities, including during pandemics. In the overall wellness program for patients with kidney disease, the need for prevention should be reiterated. Early detection with prolonged course of wellness despite kidney disease, after effective secondary and tertiary prevention programs, should be promoted. WKD 2021 continues to call for increased awareness of the importance of preventive measures across populations, professionals, and policy makers, applicable to both developed and developing countries.

Keywords: Care partner. Health policy. Low- to middle-income countries. Patient empowerment.