Baxter Asia Pacific (Baxter), a global leader in dialysis care, announced today the launch of My Kidney Journey (www.infoginjal.com), a comprehensive online portal to support patients living with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in Indonesia.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is on the rise in APAC and continues to be a major public health problem. It is often referred to as a 'silent killer' as patients present no symptoms until they reach an advanced stage of the disease, and is becoming more prevalent in countries across Asia. In Indonesia, for example, the Indonesia Renal Registry (IRR) in 2019 reported 185,901 active CKD patients and 69,124 new patients, with the number of new CKD patients projected to increase each year.

My Kidney Journey (www.infoginjal.com) has been developed to provide additional information on CKD such as the symptoms, causes and stages, as well as balanced and up-to-date information on multiple treatment options to manage CKD such as Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) at home, in-centre dialysis care and kidney transplant. It also offers support to patients, families and caregivers by providing insights on ways to live well on dialysis, including coping with the emotional difficulties of a diagnosis and demands of treatment.

Aida Lydia Sutranto, MD, PhD, Consultant Nephrologist, Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta – Indonesia said, "Chronic Kidney Disease is a progressive disease and often without symptoms. The symptoms arise when kidney function has decreased significantly and requires kidney replacement therapy. Lack of information causes patients to be unprepared for kidney replacement therapy and often confused in choosing the appropriate treatment modality between peritoneal dialysis, haemodialysis, and transplantation. Education about CKD to the patients, their families, and the public from trusted sources is essential for preventing and treating kidney disease"

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted people with chronic illnesses. Those with pre-existing conditions, including CKD, are at greater risk of more serious illness with COVID-19 because of their immunocompromised status. Home dialysis offers an opportunity for CKD patients to manage their condition from the comfort of their homes, while reducing direct human interactions from hospital visits, as well as the likelihood of infection. New data from Baxter highlights that remote patient management digital health supports HCPs to improve clinical outcomes, including monitoring their patients' home dialysis treatments, and remotely adjusting therapy without the need for patients to make visits to the clinic or hospital.

"Baxter is committed to improving the care and quality of life for patients with CKD through our continued innovation in modern PD (Peritoneal Dialysis), In-Centre HD (Haemodialysis) and other home-base renal replacement therapies and services, which have proven to be advantageous especially during the pandemic," said Andrew Frye, President of Baxter Asia Pacific.

"There is no one-size fits all model for managing Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). However, we hope that My Kidney Journey (www.infoginjal.com) will provide patients with the knowledge and resources they need to plan for a healthy and full life while on dialysis or other CKD treatments. Aside from patients, we hope that this new online portal can be a platform that offers support to caregivers who are supporting their loved ones to adjust to life with CKD and their own personal journey," Frye added.

My Kidney Journey APAC is now available to patients and the general public in 10 countries and 9 different languages, including Bahasa Indonesia. For more, visit www.infoginjal.com.