The Kidney Kid Corporate Responsibility Program to reach more children and their families to promote kidney health in Malaysia

Hong Kong, China, 7 September 2022: Fresenius Medical Care, the world’s
leading provider of products and services for individuals with renal diseases, today
signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Kidney Foundation
(NKF) Malaysia, to work together in promoting kidney health and the prevention of
chronic kidney disease amongst children and their families in Malaysia. The
organizations will leverage Fresenius Medical Care’s international Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) initiative, The Kidney Kid, to provide education and
entertainment about kidney health to children and their carers.

The Kidney Kid was first launched in Asia Pacific on World Kidney Day in 2017 and
has now grown to become a global success story that is bridging the gap to better
kidney health knowledge and behaviors. As a comprehensive ‘edutainment’
(education + entertainment) program, the colorful superhero is on a mission to help
children learn more about their ‘super organs’, the kidneys, through a series of
exciting adventures. Aimed at children aged 6 to 12 years old, The Kidney Kid
resources are available to children, parents and teachers across comics, activities,
games and videos through a game app and website, as well as print materials. The
resources help children to learn how to keep their kidneys healthy while having fun
in a group with their teachers or carers.

Kicking off in October this year, Fresenius Medical Care and NKF Malaysia will
embark on a wide range of activities that include collaborating with schools and
institutes to activate The Kidney Kid initiative with the overarching message of
preventing chronic kidney disease (CKD). The partnership comes as a result of the
growing number of kidney failure cases and the urgent need to educate Malaysians
about prevention from an early age.

“The Kidney Kid represents Fresenius Medical Care’s commitment to building
awareness of kidney health and assisting prevention of CKD in the diverse
communities we serve. Through this initiative, we have already reached over 60,000
children with our on-site events across the Asia Pacific region, and are now reaching
more children globally. The superhero’s impact has been amplified through extensive
media coverage, internet and social media presence. Importantly, by communicating
health information through animation and interactive learning, The Kidney Kid’s
health messages resonate across different age groups, cultures and literacy levels.
We are delighted that we can now further extend our superhero’s reach through our
collaboration with the National Kidney Foundation, where we will work together to
help build healthier communities in Malaysia,” said Mr. Pradeep Ranjan, Managing
Director of Fresenius Medical Care Malaysia.

“We are honored that Fresenius Medical Care Malaysia has come forward to assist
NKF in our public education and CKD prevention programs. Every year, more than
8000 Malaysians are diagnosed with kidney failure, with a total of 44,000 currently
on dialysis. We believe this partnership, specifically with The Kidney Kid initiative,
will provide crucial information on kidney health for children and their carers in a fun
and interactive way. It’s never too early to take preventive measures, which is why
we want to start the habit of good kidney care at a young age”, said Ms. Khor Xin
Yun, Chief Executive Officer of NKF Malaysia.

Since its inception, The Kidney Kid has created countless opportunities to foster the
exchange of kidney health knowledge between children, parents, teachers,
communities and healthcare professionals. During the early years of the program,
the superhero made an appearance as a full-sized mascot at a Malaysian orphanage,
engaging children with interactive physical games, storytelling videos and animations
and a healthy lunch. Throughout Asia Pacific, The Kidney Kid has appeared at
kindergartens, schools, shopping malls, hospitals and not-for-profit organizations,
where the character has involved tens of thousands of children in coloring-in,
dressing-up, games and quizzes to learn about kidney health while enjoying
themselves. The Kidney Kid now shares its health messages through local renal
communities and non-government organizations throughout the world  including a
partnership with children’s hospitals in China and throughout the vast network of the
Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Dr Alexandra Villar: Alexandra.Villar@fmc-asia.com

The Kidney Kid resources
Follow The Kidney Kid on Instagram @the.kidney.kid and Facebook @thekidneykid.org

To download The Kidney Kid app, please visit the App Store or Google Play and search for ‘The Kidney Kid’.

Visit The Kidney Kid website at thekidneykid.org

Opportunities for collaboration
For those interested in bringing The Kidney Kid initiative to their school or institute,
please visit NKF’s website at nkf.org.my or call 03-7954 9048 ext. 218 / 207.