The Cape Kidney Association is a grassroots non-profit organization that raises funds to assist with the needs of patients and families suffering from chronic kidney disease.

The Association was established in 1978 by a group of concerned nephrology health care professionals and presently consists of a variety of professional staff working in the renal (kidney) areas, renal patients (on dialysis and those who have been transplanted) and their relatives.

The Cape Kidney Association has enjoyed the patronage of the Office of the Mayor of Cape Town since its inception.

The next annual World Kidney Day will be held on the 12th of March 2009.This annual event under the auspices of the International Society,aim to increase awareness on various aspects of chronic kidney disease on a global front .

The South African Transplant Sports Asociation has a new informative website with great pictures of competing transplant recipients. Visit them at www.transplantsports.org.za. The 2008 National Transplant Games will be held at the High Performance Centre of the University in Pretoria from 25 to 27 September.

25 OCTOBER 2008 - WORLD’S BIGGEST WALK: Raising worldwide awareness for organ donation
The Worlds Biggest Walk is the initiative of a liver recipient in Australia who has been working with a number of Organ Donor Associations around the world. As part of a global initiative, the Worlds Biggest Walk will take place at 2pm on Saturday, 25 October 2008. Its aim is to raise global awareness for organ donation by encouraging people to walk 5km at exactly the same time across 5 continents around the world.

There is no registration cost for people to walk. The event is absolutely free. The Organ Donor Foundation will be coordinating 2 walks in South Africa, one in Cape Town and the other in Johannesburg. These walks are our contribution to this global event in the hope that we may create much needed awareness around the critical shortage of organ and tissue donors in South Africa. The Organ Donor Foundation of South Africa is appealing to all South Africans to participate in this walk and raise much needed awareness about the critical shortage of organ donors in our country.

If you are interested in participating in the walk in Cape Town or Johannesburg or would like further information, please contact the Organ Donor Foundation’s toll free line on 0800 22 66 11 or email capetown@organdonor.org.za.

If you cannot participate in Cape Town or Johannesburg walk and would like to arrange your own walk, you can register it online – www.worldsbiggestwalk.org and be part of a life changing event that will make a difference to someone’s life; perhaps a life of someone you may not even know .

Bring your family and friends and show your support for organ donation and transplantation.

The Annual Cape Kidney Association Cycle Ride was held under the auspices of the Pedal Power Association for the first time from the Nitida Wine Estate in Durbanville. The weather conditions was perfect and all cyclists reported excellent cycling conditions on the hilly but very scenic route. Great thanks must go to all the volunteers that assisted with marshalling , parking and registration. Special thanks to the Bernard Veller and the management of Nitida Wine  Estate, and Bob of Cafe Nitida for the use of their premises.

Please join the Cape Kidney Association on 28th October 2008 for a fundraising event at Theatre on the Bay.The charity show will be 'Defending the Caveman' starring Alan Committie and is directed by Tim Plewman.

The Vredenburg Provincial Hospital Dialysis Unit has now moved into new premises in the newly built Vredenburg Provincial Hospital. National Renal Care has been tasked to provide the management of the Renal Unit as part of a community project , with access offered to both state and private dialysis patients.

The further management of the Hermanus Provincial Hospital Dialysis Unit has also been sourced out to Fresenius Medical Care. They will continue further management of the Dialysis Unit , with access to both private and state sector dialysis patients. A new Dialysis Unit will be build shortly to accommodate more dialysis patients.

The Annual AGM of the Cape Kidney Association was held on Monday 10th December 2007 at 18h00 at the Tafelberg Room ,Groote Schuur Hospital.

Mr. Kevin Chaplin , the managing director of the South African Ubuntu Foundation & Amy Biehl Foundation Trusts was the guest speaker.