Felicia Udeji, Reporting
Edo State, Nigeria
Second Thursday in the month of March is observed as World Kidney Day. This year, the day falls on March 14. It is an occasion to raise awareness about the importance of our kidneys to overall health. On this day, healthcare professionals and nephrologists inform people about how to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney diseases and health problems associated with it. Each year, health campaigns are organised by individuals and organisations to help raise awareness about Chronic Kidney Disease or CKD.
World Kidney Day was first observed in the year 2006 and the theme was ‘Are your kidneys okay?’
In a meeting of the World Kidney Day Steering Committee in September 2023, the theme of WKD 2024 was decided as ‘Kidney Health for All – Advancing Equitable Access to Care and Optimal Medication Practice’.
In recent years, medical advances have significantly slowed CKD progression and reduced complications. But disparities persist in accessing these advancements. The theme has been decided keeping this in view.
As we celebrate World Kidney Day today, remember that you can prevent kidney diseases. Remember the kidney is a very vital organ that removes wastes and extra fluid from your body. Your kidneys also remove acid that is produced by the cells of your body and maintain a healthy balance of water, salts, and minerals—such as sodium, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium—in your blood.
Kidney Stones also known as renal stones is another most common type of kidney disease. It causes blockage in the urine causing pain during urination, urinating blood, and very smelly urine.
These are some of the things you can do to prevent kidney disease.
- Â Drink plenty of water- stay dehydrated
- If you are overweight, try as much as possible to lose weight in a healthy way like exercise.
- Avoid eating too much salt or raw salt.
- stop smoking if you do. It is a big cause of kidney stones.
- If you have diabetes, try as much as possible to stay in your blood sugar range.
- Ensure you do regular kidney checkups so as to know the state of your kidney.
