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American Kidney Fund Congratulates President Biden and Vice President Harris; Urges Prioritization of Vaccine and Kidney Health

News Provided by Accesswire2021-01-20

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ROCKVILLE, MD / ACCESSWIRE / January 20, 2021 /The American Kidney Fund (AKF) today congratulated President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on his inauguration as the 46^th President of the United States. AKF also congratulated Vice President Kamala Harris, whose inauguration represented a historic milestone as she became the first woman and the first person of color to hold that office.

"President Biden and Vice President Harris have taken office during one of the most difficult times in our nation's history. With more than 400,000 lives lost to COVID-19, millions of people struggling financially, and deep political and social divisions, we face unparalleled challenges," said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF President and CEO. "We are in the midst of a national trauma, and we are looking to the Biden Administration for leadership through this time of crisis."

"The people AKF represents-37 million Americans with kidney disease-have been hard hit by COVID-19," said Burton. "AKF shares the Biden Administration's goal of ending the pandemic as quickly as possible with rapid, effective deployment of vaccines and we stand ready to work with the Administration on public health education efforts."

"It is also critically important for the new Administration to focus on the non-communicable diseases that shorten so many lives, and we are in particular calling on President Biden to prioritize our nation's kidney health," Burton said. "Kidney disease is growing at alarming rates and today affects about 15% of American adults, with people of color at greater risk for kidney failure. It is long past time for our nation's leaders to elevate kidney disease research, prevention, detection, treatment and access to health coverage, and to address social determinants of health and health disparities. AKF is working tirelessly on these priorities and we look forward to working with the Biden Administration to reduce the burden of kidney disease on our country."

About Us

The American Kidney Fund (AKF) fights kidney disease on all fronts as the nation's leading kidney nonprofit. AKF works on behalf of the 37 million Americans living with kidney disease, and the millions more at risk, with an unmatched scope of programs that support people wherever they are in their fight against kidney disease-from prevention through transplant. With programs that address early detection, disease management, financial assistance, clinical research, innovation and advocacy, no kidney organization impacts more lives than AKF. AKF is one of the nation's top-rated nonprofits, investing 97 cents of every donated dollar in programs, and holds the highest 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator and the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

For more information, please visit KidneyFund.org, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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