World Kidney Day is celebrated every second Thursday in March, and its mission is to increase awareness of the importance of kidneys to our health and to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide.
World Kidney Day is a joint initiative by the International Society Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF). World Kidney Day is celebrated since 2006. This year will be celebrated on March 12 and the motto is “Healthy kidneys for all.”
Objectives of the World Kidney Day are:
- Increase awareness of our kidneys;
- Emphasizing that Diabetes and high blood pressure are key risk factors for chronic kidney disease;
- Stimulating the systematic screening of all patients with diabetes and hypertension, chronic renal disease;
- Encouraging preventive behaviors;
- Education of medical professionals for their key role in detecting and reducing the risk of CKD (chronic kidney disease), especially among populations at increased risk;
- Highlighting the important role of local and international health authorities in controlling epidemics of CKD. On The World Kidney Day, all governments are encouraged to take action and invest screening of kidney disease;
- Encourage transplantation as an option with the best outcome in renal failure, and the act of organ donation initiative that saves lives;
- Encouraging early detection methods and prevention of kidney problems to prevent future complications, mortality and disability from chronic renal or cardiovascular insufficiency;
One of the goals of World Kidney Day is to appeal on all people to check whether they are at risk for kidney disease.
To check, you should answer the following questions and if the answer is “yes” to at least one of the questions, you should talk to your doctor if you need to make examinations for kidney disease.
Do you have high blood pressure?
Do you suffer from diabetes?
Do you have a family history of kidney disease?
Are you overweight?
Do you smoke?
Do you have more than 50 years?
People at risk for developing kidney disease should be encouraged to make simple tests to assess the functioning of the kidneys. Make simple laboratory tests with a small amount of blood (measuring the amount of creatinine to estimate glomerular filtration rate) and a small amount of urine (excretion measurement of creatinine, albumin).
Most of the people have no symptoms, until the chronic kidney disease does not develop into more advanced stage, like: swollen ankles, fatigue, difficulty in concentrating, decreased appetite, blood in the urine and foamy urine.
Annually, about 1400 people in the Republic of Macedonia need dialysis and most of them are suffering from CKD. Chronic kidney disease is of great importance as a cause of death and disability, both globally and in our country. So, in our country, the death rate from this disease was about 8.2 / 100 000 inhabitants and it is among the higher mortality rates in the European region. It indicates insufficient awareness for early detection of the disease and prompt initiation of treatment, which can significantly influence the progression of the disease and prevention of complications, especially chronic renal disease and treatment with dialysis and kidney transplantation.
An important focus of World Kidney Day is to promote kidney donation and transplantation. For many people with CKD, the best treatment is successful transplantation that improves the well-being and maintain a better quality of life.
