Kidney health education with a superhero - Fresenius Medical Care launches Asia Pacific-wide Corporate Social Responsibility initiative on World Kidney Day

HONG KONG, CHINA - Media OutReach - March 13, 2017 - Fresenius Medical Care, the world's leading provider of dialysis products and services, launches an Asia-Pacific-wide Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative during annual World Kidney Day celebrations.

"As chronic kidney disease (CKD) statistics peak around the world, prevention is more important than ever and should start with the youngest in society -- our children", said Harry de Wit, President and CEO of Fresenius Medical Care Asia-Pacific.

To help lay the foundations of lifelong healthy habits, Fresenius Medical Care has created an engaging superhero cartoon character, The Kidney Kid. The initiative is a comprehensive 'edutainment' (education and entertainment) program which includes amongst others an activity book and an animated video. Through a series of adventures, The Kidney Kid educates children, parents and carers about their kidneys and how to keep them healthy -- all in an interactive entertaining way.

The Kidney Kid's messages are a perfect fit with this year's World Kidney Day theme: Kidney Disease & Obesity. Healthy Lifestyle for Healthy Kidneys. Obesity is defined as excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. The most recent global statistics available show, that more than 1.9 billion adults worldwide are overweight. Of these, 600 million were obese. An estimated 41 million children under the age of 5 years were overweight or obese, and nearly half of these children live in Asia. [1] As obesity is a major risk factor for kidney disease, preventing obesity and chronic kidney disease go hand-in-hand.

The good news is that both, obesity and resulting CKD are largely preventable. Education and awareness of the risks of obesity and the importance of a healthy lifestyle can dramatically help to reduce the occurrence of both diseases. This can all begin when children join The Kidney Kid in its adventures where the superhero chooses fruits and veggies instead of fast food, water instead of sugary drinks, and enjoys staying active with friends.

To celebrate World Kidney Day, The Kidney Kid interactive programs were held by Fresenius Medical Care employees throughout Asia and the Pacific region, engaging thousands of children, parents and carers, helping to raise awareness of our 'super organs' and the vital role they play in our health.

As a globally leading healthcare company, Fresenius Medical Care will continue to utilize its experience and expertise to raise awareness for good kidney health as part of the company's lifelong commitment to local communities.