Kidney health education with a superhero -- Fresen

HONG KONG, CHINA--(Marketwired - Mar 13, 2017) - Fresenius Medical Care , the world's leading provider of dialysis products and services, launches an Asia-Pacific-wide Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative during annual World Kidney Day celebrations.

"As chronic kidney disease (CKD) statistics peak around the world, prevention is more important than ever and should start with the youngest in society -- our children," said Harry de Wit, President and CEO of Fresenius Medical Care Asia-Pacific.

To help lay the foundations of lifelong healthy habits, Fresenius Medical Care has created an engaging superhero cartoon character, The Kidney Kid . The initiative is a comprehensive 'edutainment' (education and entertainment) program which includes amongst others an activity book and an animated video. Through a series of adventures, The Kidney Kid educates children, parents and carers about their kidneys and how to keep them healthy -- all in an interactive entertaining way.

The Kidney Kid's messages are a perfect fit with this year's World Kidney Day theme: Kidney Disease & Obesity. Healthy Lifestyle for Healthy Kidneys. Obesity is defined as excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. The most recent global statistics available show, that more than 1.9 billion adults worldwide are overweight. Of these, 600 million were obese. An estimated 41 million children under the age of 5 years were overweight or obese, and nearly half of these children live in Asia. ¹ As obesity is a major risk factor for kidney disease, preventing obesity and chronic kidney disease go hand-in-hand.

The good news is that both, obesity and resulting CKD are largely preventable. Education and awareness of the risks of obesity and the importance of a healthy lifestyle can dramatically help to reduce the occurrence of both diseases. This can all begin when children join The Kidney Kid in its adventures where the superhero chooses fruits and veggies instead of fast food, water instead of sugary drinks, and enjoys staying active with friends.

To celebrate World Kidney Day, The Kidney Kid interactive programs were held by Fresenius Medical Care employees throughout Asia and the Pacific region, engaging thousands of children, parents and carers, helping to raise awareness of our 'super organs' and the vital role they play in our health.

As a globally leading healthcare company, Fresenius Medical Care will continue to utilize its experience and expertise to raise awareness for good kidney health as part of the company's lifelong commitment to local communities.

¹ World Health Organization Media Centre, Obesity and overweight fact sheet , updated June 2016. Available from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/

ABOUT FRESENIUS MEDICAL CARE Fresenius Medical Care is the world's largest provider of products and services for individuals with renal diseases of which more than 2.8 million patients worldwide regularly undergo dialysis treatment. Through its network of 3,579 dialysis clinics, Fresenius Medical Care provides dialysis treatments for 306,366 patients around the globe. Fresenius Medical Care is also the leading provider of dialysis products such as dialysis machines or dialyzers. Along with the core business, the company focuses on expanding the range of related medical services in the field of care coordination. Fresenius Medical Care is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange ( FRANKFURT : FME ) and on the New York Stock Exchange ( NYSE : FMS ).

For more information visit the company's website at www.freseniusmedicalcare.com

ABOUT WORLD KIDNEY DAY The World Kidney Day organisation is a joint initiative by the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF). World Kidney Day's mission aims to raise awareness of the important role our kidneys play to our overall health and to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide.

For more information visit: www.worldkidneyday.org

DISCLAIMER: This release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to certain factors, including changes in business, economic and competitive conditions, regulatory reforms, foreign exchange rate fluctuations, uncertainties in litigation or investigative proceedings, and the availability of financing. These and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA's reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release.