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Now is the Time: Kidney Health, Not Kidney Disease

The Canadian federal election will be held on Monday, April 28th, and it’s more important than ever to draw attention to kidney disease. The Kidney Foundation of Canada is calling on our next government to recognize and address chronic kidney disease (CKD) for the urgent health care crisis it’s become.

In support of this important objective, The Kidney Foundation is developing a national framework for chronic kidney disease. The purpose of the framework is to provide a comprehensive tool to guide decision-making and change at all levels of government. It will address ongoing challenges in CKD prevention, management, and treatment and provide a roadmap for government policies and programs that will reduce the burden of CKD.

As someone who is living with or affected by kidney disease, you can use this toolkit to help you make your voice heard. Tell your local candidates that we want Canada’s next government to demonstrate leadership in diagnosing and treating kidney disease in Canada in its earliest stages, ensuring equitable treatment for all Canadians, and building a strong and resilient research and data ecosystem.

These are the facts:

  • 42% of people with kidney failure are under 651
  • Diabetes contributes to 33% of kidney failure1
  • Over 29,900 Canadians are on dialysis1
  • Over 2,400 Canadians are waiting for a kidney transplant2
  • The median wait time for a kidney transplant from a deceased donor is 3.25 years2

Let’s change the conversation from kidney disease to kidney health!

Take action: what you can do

The first step is to find out which electoral district you live in and who’s running in your district. It’s easy to do! 

Engage with your candidates >
Download The Kidney Foundation Toolkit >
Get the word out on social media >
Vote >

Engage with your candidates

Your local candidates may not know much about CKD, so this is your chance to share what it’s like to live with the challenges and what they can do for people living with or affected by kidney disease. Here are some of the ways you can reach out:

Download The Kidney Foundation Toolkit

Access our full 2025 election toolkit for more suggestions and tips on engaging your local candidates. Feel free to contact us at [email protected] if you have any comments or questions about this toolkit.

Get the word out on social media

Sharing stories or posts about living with CKD on social media can be a great way to get your story seen by candidates. You can tag your local candidate on social media by typing @ followed by their username in your post or comment. You can also use hashtags to let us know that you’re posting: #Elections2025 #ItsOurVote #Elxn45 #VotingMatters #MyKidneyVote

2025 Federal Election Social Media image: Kidney Health, Not Kidney Disease
2025 Federal Election Social Media image: Kidney Health
2025 Federal Election Social Media image: I Am Voting To... list
2025 Federal Election Social Media image: I Am Voting

Download the Social Media Image Bundle (.zip)

Click here to view sample posts

I’m voting in #Elections2025 because I care about kidney health.

Canada’s next government must step up to prevent kidney disease, ensure equitable access to treatment, and boost funding for kidney research. People with kidney disease will benefit, and so will everyone who is at risk!

[tag candidates here]

#ItsOurVote #Elxn45 #VotingMatters #MyKidneyVote

Addressing kidney disease in Canada will save countless lives and billions of dollars in health care costs.

Will you make this a top priority if you are elected?

The future of over 4 million Canadians depends on it.

[tag candidates here]

#Elections2025 #ReadyToVote #Elxn45 #CdnPoli #MyKidneyVote

I want the next Canadian government to lead the world in identifying people in the early stages of kidney disease and ensuring that they have access to the latest treatments.

This #Elections2025, let’s change the conversation from kidney disease to kidney health.

Act NOW for a healthier future.

#VotingMatters #Elxn45 #ItsOurVote #MyKidneyVote

Vote

Remember, bring some identification to vote on election day. There are three options to prove your identity and address. Find out more on the Voter Information Service on Election.ca.

Ways to vote:

  • By mail
  • At an advance poll
  • On election day

Key dates

  • Election day: April 28, 2025
  • Advance polls:
    • Friday, April 18, 2025
    • Saturday, April 19, 2025
    • Sunday, April 20, 2025
    • Monday, April 21, 2025
Party Party Website Candidates
Liberal Party Liberal Party Liberal Party candidates
Conservative Party Conservative Party Conservative Party candidates
NDP NDP NDP candidates
Green Party Green Party Green Party candidates
Bloc Québécois Bloc Québécois Bloc Québécois candidates


Data Sources:

1 Canadian Institute for Health Information. Canadian Organ Replacement Register, 2014 to 2023: https://www.cihi.ca/en/organ-replacement-in-canada-corr-annual-statistics and Dialysis and pre-emptive kidney transplants data tables https://www.cihi./ca/sites/default/files/document/dialysis-and-preemptive-kidney-transplant-2014-2023-data-tables-en.xlsx

2 Canadian Institute for Health Information. Annual statistics on organ replacement in Canada, 2014 to 2023 https://www.cihi.ca/en/annual-statistics-on-organ-replacement-in-canada-2014-to-2023 and Canadian Institute for Health Information. Summary statistics on organ transplants, wait lists and donors. https://www.cihi.ca/en/summary-statistics-on-organ-transplants-wait-lists-and-donors