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Ensuring Equitable Access to Dialysis Worldwide
In many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), dialysis remains out of reach for millions, leading to preventable deaths and immense suffering. Acute kidney failure, often caused by infections and dehydration, disproportionately affects younger populations. Without timely dialysis, mortality rates soar—73% in children and 86% in adults in sub-Saharan Africa.
By 2030, over 9.1 million people worldwide will require kidney replacement therapy, yet only a fraction will have access. The disparity is staggering: only 4% of patients in low-income countries receive treatment, compared to 60% in high-income nations. Additionally, the shortage of nephrologists remains severe, particularly in Africa, where specialist availability is 94% lower than the global average.
Introducing the Ren’All Care Alliance
The Ren’All Care Alliance is a collaborative initiative bringing together leading African and European institutions to revolutionize dialysis access in LMICs. This partnership, uniting the EssentialTech Centre at EPFL, AFRAN, SFNDT, WITS, and SSN, is dedicated to creating sustainable, innovative solutions through three key pillars:
- Technological Innovation – Developing cost-effective, high-quality dialysis solutions tailored to resource-limited settings.
- Training & Capacity Building – Enhancing the expertise of healthcare professionals to improve patient outcomes.
- Epidemiological Research & Policy Development – Establishing registries and evidence-based guidelines to inform national health policies.
Through innovation, collaboration, and advocacy, we strive to transform renal care and ensure that life-saving dialysis is no longer a privilege but a universal right.
Credits Main Image: Seth Wenig/AP
Nathalie holds an M.A. in Social Sciences. She has a rich background in humanitarian work and social impact projects, working with NGOs and international organizations. She has led diverse teams across Sub-Saharan Africa, the Balkans, Central America, and Switzerland, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration and building cross-cultural partnerships to develop impactful solutions that advance societal progress. Her core areas of expertise include post-crisis recovery, gender-based violence, and forced migration.In her previous roles, Nathalie worked with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Geneva on anti-human trafficking interventions and served as an independent consultant specialising in strategic planning for humanitarian initiatives. She also contributed to socio-economic integration programs for refugees in Switzerland. Nathalie joined EssentialTech in 2021 as Head of Stakeholder relations and Fundraising before taking the Head of the Sustainable Development Division in 2023, Nathalie leads interdisciplinary innovation projects that strategically leverage technology to develop sustainable solutions for vulnerable communities. Her work focuses notably on improving access to essential health services, including neonatal care, oxygen therapy,and assistive devices, while empowering healthcare professionals and institutions in low-resource settings.
Dr. Yan-Kim Tran is a skilled power electronics engineer specializing in DC-DC power conversion for medium-voltage applications. With expertise spanning the entire lifecycle of power supply systems—from simulation and component design to hardware assembly and control firmware—he has contributed to a wide range of projects, from small-scale power solutions to multi-megawatt systems.
Yan-Kim earned both his Master’s degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (2013) and his PhD in Power Electronics (2019) from EPFL. His extensive professional experience has shaped his ability to develop innovative and resilient power supply technologies.
Since joining the EssentialTech Centre in 2022 as a development engineer for the GlobalO2 project, Yan-Kim has played a key role in designing life-saving medical technologies, including a robust oxygen production device and a neonatal incubator for resource-limited and challenging environments. His recent work has reinforced his expertise in innovation under technical and economic constraints, emphasizing deployment, maintenance, and user-centric design.
Curious, motivated, and highly adaptable, Yan-Kim is passionate about creating impactful solutions at the intersection of power electronics, embedded systems, and sustainable technology.
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