WORLD KIDNEY DAY
http://www.worldkidneyday.org/o

Soon the world will be celebrating the World Kidney Day and in line with our new mandate, I also bring you information on this day!
World Kidney Day 2015 - Second Thursday in March (12th March, 2015)

Introduction
World Kidney Day (WKD) is a global health awareness campaign focusing on the importance of the kidneys and reducing the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide.
World Kidney Day is observed annually on the 2nd Thursday in March and for this year, it is on the 12th March, 2015. At the start, 66 countries observed this date in 2006. Within two years, this number rose to 88. WKD is a joint initiative of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundation (IFKF). The WKD celebration was intended to raise awareness about afflictions of the kidneys; although many are treatable, they are a secondary medical concern of the greater population.
 
Historical Background

The first WKD was celebrated in the year 2006. Ten years on from the first campaign, World Kidney Day (WKD) has turned into a global phenomenon. Past World Kidney Days have seen more than 600 events in well over 90 countries participating in the World Kidney Day celebrations!

Symbols/Logo of the WKD



The logo for World Kidney Day is composed of two kidneys and three bright colour bars - RED, BLUE and YELLOW. These colours represent the blood (red), excess water (blue) and urine (yellow) that our kidneys filter, clean and eliminate. You can use the logo in colour or in black & white, but please do not alter the design and use it on a white background.
“Please note that WKD logo is copyrighted. The logo cannot be modified except for translation purposes. Commercial use of the logo is NOT permitted. The logo cannot be associated with any other logo or brand name without specific permission. Commercial industry does not have the right to use the WKD logo unless they are official global or national WKD Sponsors”  
 
World Kidney Day 2015 Theme: “Kidney Health for ALL”

This year’s campaign theme was carefully chosen as research shows that quite a number of people in and around our communities suffer from a higher prevalence and incidence of kidney disease, lack adequate access to treatments or do not have the means or the education to take preventive measures. World Kidney Day wants to give them a voice and bring this issue forward on the global health policy agenda.
Also, this year’s theme “Kidney Health for All” makes this call to action even more meaningful since it also helps highlight a number of key issues and challenges in tackling Chronic Kidney Disease in vulnerable populations: poor water hygiene, lack of hydration and unhealthy choice of beverages. A large portion of the world lacks access to safe water and many diseases that adversely affect kidneys are water-borne. For this reason, on World Kidney Day, we would also like to encourage our partners to advocate access to clean water for all. Studies have shown that people drinking sodas on a daily basis have higher risk of developing some level of CKD. This is because soft drinks increase the level of protein in the urine, which is considered an early marker of kidney damage. By inviting everyone to raise a glass of water for their kidneys on World Kidney Day, we would also like to highlight this issue and encourage everyone to make the healthy choice of drinking water instead of soft drinks.
 
Objectives of the WKD celebration

· To highlight the kidney problems related to the common health disorders like diabetes, high blood pressure which may lead to the Chronic Kidney Diseases.

· To encourage the common public through the systematic screening of all patients having problems like diabetes or hypertension.

· To motivate and promote the common public for the better prevention by describing to them all aspects of the prevention measures in order to get prevented from such kidney problems.

· To instruct the medical professionals about all aspects of the kidneys as well as teaching them to play their key role in the detection and prevention of kidneys problems among the people of high risk populations.

· To get together all the medical professionals from the local and national health authorities in order to control the spread of Chronic Kidney Diseases.

· To deal with the high risk problems as well as implement the new strategies by motivating all the governments’ authorities.

· To encourage the people about the kidneys donation and transplantation as a best option of life saving for getting free from the kidney failure or other Chronic Kidney Diseases.

· To encourage the people for the early detection and prevention methods of the kidney problems to reduce the future complications and deaths and disability from the chronic renal and cardiovascular failure.
 
Activities of the WKD Celebration

To celebrate World Kidney Day, we invite the whole kidney community to plan local events to engage the public and all stakeholders in the campaign. Raising awareness about kidney disease will spur action and ultimately influence decision-makers to promote kidney-health policies and dedicate some of their resources to better prevention and early detection.
Engaging local celebrities is an excellent way to build awareness for your activities and events. Reach out to local visible public figures (such as politicians, artists, sports personalities, journalists, TV presenters, professors/teachers, CEOs, …) and encourage them to get involved in World Kidney Day and help spread the word – either by acting as a spokesperson of the kidney cause when talking to the media, giving a speech at a public event or by supporting us in spreading the World Kidney Day message on the internet
At individual level, On March 12, 2015, the Honourable Commissioner for Health STRONGLY ENCOURAGES every member to drink a glass of water and give close ones too to celebrate their kidneys. This is a symbolic gesture to remember that kidneys are vital organs and that they should be taken care of; it is a way to make people more conscious about their lifestyle choices. It is a conversation starter to raise awareness about the risks, dangers and burden of kidney disease and how to prevent and treat it time.

Dr. Wakiente O. Omubo