Bridging the Gap in Kidney Care for the Latino Community

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) disproportionately impacts the Latino community, with Hispanics experiencing higher rates of kidney failure and significant challenges in accessing renal transplantation than non-Hispanic white populations. While Hispanics make up 23.3% of the kidney transplant waiting list, they accounted for only 19.9% of kidney transplants in 2024, compared to 39.4% non-Hispanic white recipients.1 This disparity highlights the need for equitable access to kidney care and transplantation within the Latino community. 

To bridge these gaps, NHMA collaborated with healthcare organizations to enhance kidney transplant education and developed bilingual resources tailored for physicians and patients. This initiative aimed to increase living kidney donors within the Latino community by:

  • Promoting kidney transplants as a viable option for CKD
  • Raising awareness about transplantation disparities
  • Expanding access to bilingual educational resources

1. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). (2025, February 3). Kidney transplant waiting list data. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/ (Accessed February 3, 2025).

NHMA's Impact 

From October 2024 through April 2025, the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) led a national educational campaign to raise awareness of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and promote living kidney donation among Hispanic communities. The campaign addressed disparities in transplant education through bilingual, culturally tailored materials designed for both patients and health care providers.

To guide this effort, NHMA convened a National Kidney Health Advisory Committee of ten clinicians and public health experts specializing in nephrology, transplant surgery, pediatrics, hepatology and family medicine. Their insights helped shape the campaign’s content, messaging and outreach strategy.

NHMA developed and distributed bilingual kidney health materials, including print flyers, digital graphics and social media content, through in-person events, email newsletters and targeted digital advertising in Houston.

The campaign achieved measurable impact, with:

  • 3,367 digital impressions from paid and organic media
  • More than 400 materials distributed at community events
  • 25 digital ads and 25 social media posts shared nationwide

Through this initiative, NHMA strengthened kidney health education and expanded access to trustworthy bilingual resources, empowering Hispanic families to take charge of their kidney health and learn more about the importance of living kidney donation.

This campaign received sponsorship from Sanofi.

Sanofi does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The health information contained herein is provided for general educational purposes only. Your health care professional is the best source of information regarding your health. Please consult your health care professional if you have any questions about your health or treatment.

MAT-US-2501087-v1.0-02/2025