About Us
Consortium for the Epidemic of Nephropathy in Central America and Mexico - (CENCAM)
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is an illness affecting the kidneys, that if not identified and treated in early stages, requires transplant or dialysis to save the lives of patients. During the last 20 years, in several regions of Central America, there has been an increase of a new type of CKD that is not linked with diabetes, obesity, hypertension, or age. This disease is referred to as “Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown origin” (CKDu), CKD of “non-traditional causes” (CKDnt) or the “Mesoamerican Nephropathy” (MeN) when it occurs in this part of the world. Those most frequently affected by Mesoamerican Nephropathy are young men that live near the Pacific coast of Mesoamerica and who do physically strenuous works in hot climates. CKDu has been responsible for over 20,000 deaths in Central America in recent years. Finding the causes and responding to the needs of patients affected by this disease has been declared a priority by COMISCA (The Health Ministers of Central America and the Dominican Republic) and PAHO (The Pan-American Health Organization, http://iris.paho.org/xmlui/handle/123456789/4401) on an international level.
The Consortium for the Epidemic of Nephropathy in Central America and Mexico (CENCAM) was created in 2012 as a society of scientists, clinicians, and other stakeholders involved with CKDu. The goal of CENCAM is to expand our understanding of the causes and mechanisms of CKDu, and to promote collaboration between countries and disciplines, in order to ultimately promote improved surveillance, prevention, and management of the disease. CENCAM started with 53 members from 15 countries and now has more than 130 members from over 20 countries.
Vission & Mission
Primary Objectives:
- To increase international collaboration for the exploration and research of CKDu
- To raise awareness and action about CKDu in Central America and Mexico, and around the world
- To contribute to a reduction in the overall prevalence and impact of CKDu
Organizational Activities:
- Compile and disseminate research
- Facilitate a collaborative approach to research globally
- Provide a forum for communicating results
- Provide expertise for individuals and organizations invested in CKDu-related work
- Promote and host conferences, workshops, and other types of exchange related to CKDu
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Bylaws and policies
Read our Bylaws and Policies
Board Members
Current Board Members
Marvin González
Co-chair
Nicaragua
Nathan Raines
Co-chair
USA
Jennifer Crowe
Secretary
Costa Rica
Marta Avellán
Costa Rica
Dan Brooks
USA
Pablo Garcia
Guatemala
Carl-Gustaf Elinder
Sweden
Prior Board Members
Board members 2019-2021
Dan Brooks
Co-chair
USA
Marvin González
Co-chair
Nicaragua
Jennifer Crowe
Secretary
Costa Rica
Ricardo Correa-Rotter
Mexico
Carl-Gustaf Elinder
Sweden
Sandra Peraza
El Salvador
Vicente Sánchez-Polo
Guatemala
Vidhya Venugopal
India
Subcommittees
There are currently three sub-committees within the CENCAM Board
Outreach and Membership Subcommittee
The Outreach and Membership subcommittee is responsible for overseeing key CENCAM communication tools, including the CENCAM website, the CENCAM listserv, and CENCAM social media accounts. It also manages collaborations between CENCAM and other professional organizations. Finally, it is responsible for new member recruitment approval, as well as membership services and surveys.
Research, Education, and Clinical Subcommittee
The Research, Education, and Clinical subcommittee is responsible for developing and maintaining CENCAM informational resources. These include maintaining the CKDu / Mesoamerican Nephropathy Wikipedia and UpToDate pages, and regularly updating and releasing a summary document of published CKDu-related research. This subcommittee also oversees the development and conduct of webinars, workshops, and other educational offerings covering research and clinical care-related topics in CKDu.
Executive and Logistics Subcommittee
The Executive and Logistics subcommittee oversees organizational structure, maintenance, and logistics. Tasks include organizing and leading CENCAM board meetings, signing off on letters of collaboration with other organizations, and acquiring funding for CENCAM-related activities. This committee also oversees planning and execution of the CENCAM international workshop.
If you are not a board member but are interested in volunteering to work on one of the CENCAM subcommittees, please contact us to discuss!
