AL HJR8

Designates March 2023 as "Chronic Kidney Disease Awareness Month" in Alabama to raise awareness for research, screening programs, and access to care for individuals with chronic kidney disease.

Approximately 15 percent of U.S. adults have chronic kidney disease, yet 90 percent of those with early-stage disease remain undiagnosed.

Kidney disease disproportionately affects communities of color, with African Americans nearly four times more likely and Hispanics 1.3 times more likely to experience kidney failure compared to White Americans.

Scientists discovered in 2010 that individuals with two variants of the APOL1 gene face significantly increased kidney disease risk, with 13 percent of African Americans carrying two APOL1 risk variants and estimates suggesting up to one in five people with two variants will develop kidney disease.

Simple diagnostic tests exist, including blood and urine tests and genetic testing to identify APOL1 risk variants, and community-based programs are needed to address racial disparities in awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic kidney disease.