President Trump refuses to accept the status quo on one of America’s deadliest diseases

Across America, 37 million patients suffer from chronic kidney disease. Each year, more than 100,000 begin dialysis to treat end-stage renal disease—50 percent of whom die within five years.

That mortality rate is far too high. All told, kidney disease ranks as the ninth leading cause of death in America. The current quality of care for these patients is unacceptable, and the treatment options available to them are far too expensive.

President Donald J. Trump, as with so many other issues confronting America, has refused to accept that awful status quo. At the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington today, he signed an executive order that takes the biggest step in decades toward advancing American kidney health.

President Trump: It’s time to get “Americans off these waitlists.”

“Today we’re taking groundbreaking action to bring new hope to millions of Americans suffering from kidney disease,” he said.

Under President Trump’s new order, Medicare will test adjusting payment incentives to encourage preventative kidney care, as well as the use of home dialysis and kidney transplants. Furthermore, the President is directing his Administration to develop a process to get artificial kidneys to patients and expedite the process of kidney matching.

And crucially, the President is beginning the process of removing financial barriers to organ donation, including by allowing for the reimbursement of lost wages and childcare expenses faced by organ donors.

“For these patients, their loved ones, and for the impacted—all those impacted by kidney disease—I'm here to say: We are fighting by your side, and we're determined to get you the best treatment anywhere in the world,” President Trump said.

President Trump’s executive order is a bold new approach to kidney treatment.

President Trump: “We are with you every step of the way.”

Ivanka Trump helps secure women’s rights legislation in Ivory Coast

In April, Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump traveled to Africa, where she made the case for advancing women’s rights and legal status across the world. One of the countries she visited, Ivory Coast, today took concrete steps toward that vision by passing legislation encouraged by Ms. Trump.

“We are pleased to recognize and applaud the Ivorian government’s recent passage of the marriage law, which supports women’s equal management of household assets,” she said in a statement to The Associated Press.

This new legislation paves the way for the economic empowerment of women and sets an example for other countries to follow. Specifically, the updated family code makes the social and political landscape more equitable for women by getting rid of laws that prevented them from owning or inheriting property.

Reforms such as these are a top priority for the White House’s Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP), which Ivanka Trump helps lead. W-GDP’s core message is that when women are empowered, both their families and their communities benefit substantially. Launched in February, W-GDP aims to empower 50 million women throughout the world by 2025.

Today, U.S. International Development Agency Administrator Mark Green, alongside Ms. Trump, announced 14 new projects in support of W-GDP. These partnerships alone will leverage millions of dollars to reach more than 100,000 women in the years ahead.

The Associated Press: Ivory Coast passes legislation encouraged by Ivanka Trump

Learn more: President Trump’s W-GDP aims to empower 50 million women

Photo of the Day

Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead

President Donald J. Trump signs an Executive Order on Advancing American Kidney Health at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. | July 10, 2019