Why EWOPA?
Children and adolescents with chronic kidney disease and after kidney transplantation have the same basic needs as healthy youngsters. They must have possibilities to play, to learn, to have social activities and contacts, and to feel comfortable and safe.
From time to time these requirements are forgotten or hidden under urgent medical needs that tend to seem more important. In the EWOPA network we want to bring the children's / families' points of view out to the open. We want to remind that their experiences and opinions are as important as the medical facts.

Participants
Any professionals who are interested in the care and treatment of children and adolescents with chronic kidney disease are welcome to join the network. Thus, we are a multidisciplinary group with psychologists, doctors, play therapists, dieticians, nurses, social workers, teachers, priests and others. This gives a broad and a very fruitful view to all discussions.

Aims of EWOPA
In annual conferences and virtual meetings with topics from different areas of treatment and care for children with CKD the participants can share with each other their experiences from different aspects and, thus, we can provide the best available care and treatment to our patients. Our definition of the best treatment includes not only medical treatment but especially psychosocial well-being.

How is the group working?
As EWOPA is not an association we have no members. There is no annual fee. However, there is a  coordination group currently consisting of two pediatric nephrologists ( Finland, France), three psychologists (Germany, Belgium) and a social worker (The Netherlands). Every year during the conference there is a business meeting where we decide who will be the hosts of the next two conferences. 
Many new contacts are made at the annual conferences, so that there is also the possibility of communication and exchange between the conferences. 
Lately we have been trying out additional ways of  professional exchange, e.g., with Zoom meetings.

Join EWOPA!
You are cordially invited to participate in exchange and contribute to the discussion! Please feel free  to make contact to Dirk Bethe or anyone else from the coordination group. If you want to be set on our mailing list please send an email to info@ewopa-renalchild.com.

Join the group! Together we can make a difference!

Contact: info@ewopa-renalchild.com