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Over the last six years, the teams have developed dialysis services and training schemes so doctors can improve care for all kidney disease patients visiting the renal center in Blantyre, Malawi.

The collaboration began when the centers were paired up through the ISN Sister Renal Centers Program. They have now graduated from the program and successfully established a comprehensive, sustainable and high-quality nephrology service for adults and children at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, run entirely by Malawian staff.

There was no renal expertise or service at the hospital when the partnership started. Gavin Dreyer, program participant, explains: ‘ Together, we developed a five-station hemodialysis unit that is currently treating 20 patients with end-stage kidney disease and has treated 54 patients that require dialysis due to acute kidney injury.’

He adds: ‘We also provide renal out-patient services, in-patient consulting and have a dedicated 10-bedded renal ward. Our Malawian colleagues have trained in nephrology overseas and are now returning to lead the service.’

The center in Malawi has also been able to offer acute peritoneal treatment for pediatric patients thanks to training support from Saving Young Lives and the ISN Educational Ambassador Program.

Crucially, the ISN Sister Renal Centers partnership has encouraged ongoing educational and training programs between teams at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital and the UK’s Barts Health NHS Trust hospital so staff in Malawi can continue providing the best care for their patients well into the future.

Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital is the national teaching hospital for Malawi and provides specialist services for about 6.2 million people in the Southern region of the country. The center is also one of four global sites selected by the ISN 0by25 initiative study to provide unique data on AKI in community settings in Africa.

Dreyer adds: ‘Our clinical team were directly involved, enhancing our research capacity, and understanding AKI and its causes in Malawi. We are a global site for the ISN Kidney Care Network project, which has enormous potential to improve the management of AKI in Southern Malawi, and in comparable settings worldwide.’

The Schrier Award is part of the Schrier family’s contribution to ISN and rewards the most deserving partnership of the recently graduated pairs of the ISN ISN Sister Renal Centers and the ISN-TTS Sister Transplant Centers Programs.

Find out more about the ISN Sister Renal Centers Programs and ISN-TTS Sister Transplant Centers Program.