Project Summary

Kidney Check addresses the high burden of kidney disease among Indigenous people, who are approximately three times more likely to develop the disease than the rest of the Canadian population. Rural and remote communities face particular barriers to early diagnosis and care. Kidney Check brings mobile screening and kidney health education directly into communities, using culturally safe approaches co-developed with First Nations partners. Now active in Manitoba, British Columbia, and Alberta, the program is tailored by each Nation to reflect its unique values, needs, and context. 

Why This Work Matters

Kidney disease can lead to dialysis, transplant, and other serious complications—but early detection can delay or prevent these outcomes. For many First Nations people, particularly in remote areas, care is hard to access and may require leaving home and family.  

Kidney Check offers a proactive, community-based model now operating in three provinces. It provides respectful and culturally safe screening, education, and individualized care, with a focus on building long-term partnerships with First Nations communities and facilitating self-determination of health.  

Project Objectives

• Strengthen early identification of chronic kidney disease and related risks through culturally safe, community-led screening in rural and remote First Nations communities. 

• Support Indigenous-led implementation of guideline-concordant kidney care by training local health care providers and community health workers. 

• Expand access to screening and follow-up care by integrating Kidney Check into existing provincial and community health systems. 

• Evaluate program outcomes using community-informed frameworks to measure reach, satisfaction, and improvements in care. 

• Build long-term capacity and sustainability through partnerships, education, and engagement with Indigenous organizations and health authorities. 

Recent Activities & Progress

• Screened over 370 individuals across 7 First Nations communities in Manitoba since 2023, with plans underway for future screenings in urban centres. 

• Collaborated with Red River College and Keewatinohk Inniniw Minoayawin Inc. (KIM) in Manitoba to embed point-of-care testing training into the diagnostic support worker training program at Red River College and strengthen community-led screening capacity. 

• Engaged 11 new Alberta communities, with screening already underway in five. Over 270 participants screened by Kidney Check in Alberta since spring 2023. 

• Continued active engagement and screening across 15+ BC First Nations communities, with new collaborations to support scale and sustainability. 

• In 2024, five publications highlighted Kidney Check’s impact on equity, prevention, and culturally safe care.