World Kidney Day 2024: World Kidney Day is observed globally on the second Thursday of March every year. It is a worldwide campaign aimed at raising awareness about the importance of kidneys. This year, it falls on March 14.
World Kidney Day 2024: Theme
The World Kidney Day 2024 theme is 'Kidney Health for All - Advancing Equitable Access to Care and Optimal Medication Practice.'
The theme for World Kidney Day 2023 is "Kidney Health for All – Preparing for the unexpected, supporting the vulnerable."
The theme of World Kidney Day 2022 is "Kidney Health for All - Bridge the knowledge gap to better kidney care". In 2021, the theme was "Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere – Living Well with Kidney Disease."
World Kidney Day 2024: History
In 2006, World Kidney Day was observed for the first time, and since then, it has been celebrated every year. It is believed that 1 in 10 people worldwide is affected by kidney disease. World Kidney Day is a joint initiative of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF).
World Kidney Day 2024: Objectives
The purpose of celebrating the day is to raise awareness about the importance of kidneys to overall health and to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems across the globe.
- Raise kidney awareness by emphasizing that diabetes and high blood pressure are major risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD).
- Strengthen preventive behaviours.
- Systematic screening of all patients with diabetes and hypertension should be done for CKD.
- It is important to educate all medical professionals about their key role in detecting and reducing the risk of CKD, especially in high-risk populations.
- Focus on the role of local and national health authorities in controlling the CKD epidemic.
- On World Kidney Day, all governments are encouraged to take action and invest in further kidney screening.
About Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive loss in the function of the kidney over a period of months or years. When the kidney does not function or falls below a certain point, it is called kidney failure. It is to be noted that untreated kidney failure can be life-threatening and requires dialysis or kidney transplant treatment to maintain life. CKD can be caused by diabetes, high blood pressure, and other disorders. Early detection and treatment may help prevent chronic kidney disease from getting worse.
Tips for Keeping Kidneys Healthy
Kidney diseases are silent killers that can largely affect your quality of life. According to the World Kidney Day Organization, there are several ways to reduce the risk of developing cases, including:
- Keep fit, Be active.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Check and control your blood sugar.
- Check and control your blood pressure.
- Take appropriate fluid intake.
- Don’t smoke.
- Don’t take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory/pain-killer pills regularly.
- Get your kidney function checked if you have one or more of the ‘high risk’ factors.
While kidney disease can affect people of all ages and races, women tend to face more specific challenges linked to kidney disease. The risk of developing Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is at least as high in women as in men and may even be higher. CKD affects approximately 195 million women worldwide and it is currently the 8th leading cause of death in women, causing 600,000 deaths each year.
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