Our national partner. Kidney Health New Zealand is a nationwide charity that provides awareness, education, and community screening for kidney disease — and each year they come to Dunedin to test alongside us.
A big part of Kidney Health New Zealand’s services is providing free kidney testing for workplaces.
Testing is quick, painless, and non-invasive, taking around 6–8 minutes per person, and results are available straight away. It consists of four core readings — blood pressure, eGFR, creatinine, and blood glucose — all carried out by their specialist nurses at your workplace. The nurses provide advice, tailored support, and referrals for any further investigations on the spot, based on results.
Kidney disease disproportionately affects those of Māori, Pasifika, and Indo-Asian descent in New Zealand, as well as those who are migrants, have diabetes or high blood pressure, who live rurally, or in lower socioeconomic areas. Early detection is our best defence against the devastating rise of kidney disease, and they ask that you consider working alongside them to protect your employees, workmates, and friends.
Thanks to funding from the Otago Community Trust, Kidney Health New Zealand can run additional testing days in Dunedin through the rest of 2026. They have invited events, community groups, cultural groups and workplaces to host them — and if you think testing would benefit a group or event, even one that doesn’t obviously fit those categories, they would like to hear about it.
If somewhere you know would like to host a testing day, email info@oks.nz and we’ll pass it on.
Each March, for World Kidney Day, Kidney Health New Zealand joins us at our community stand in central Dunedin. Their South Island renal nurse tests alongside our volunteers, offering kidney function tests while we take blood pressures and talk with people about kidney health.
It is one of the most useful days in our year. In 2026, around half the people tested were advised to follow up with their GP — which is exactly why the day matters.
Their team also coordinates testing events across the lower South Island, and they have been generous with advice, resources and information for our members.
KHNZ meets with MPs and health ministers to push for chronic kidney disease to be formally recognised as a long-term health condition, so that services can be better planned and funded.
They take part in Pharmac consultations on widening access to kidney medications, including Empagliflozin (Jardiance).
Clear, practical information for people living with kidney disease and their whānau, covering diagnosis, treatments, diet and living well.
Testing and education events around the country, reaching people in high-risk and underserved communities where early detection makes the most difference.
Kidney Health New Zealand’s website has information on kidney disease, treatments, living well, and their current campaigns.
