14/03/2024
Our Renal Teams are supporting World Kidney Day 2024 (14 March) which this year’s theme ‘Kidney Health for All: Advancing equitable access to care and optimal medication practice’. The goal is to raise awareness about the importance of ensuring equitable access to appropriate treatment and care for people living with kidney disease, in order to improve their quality of life and delay the progression of the disease. Recent medication breakthroughs have shown significant success in delaying Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) progression and reduction associated complications. Yet, not everyone has equal access to care!
Prevention is the key to a healthier future to tackle CKD World Kidney Day calls for holistic health policies, funding for kidney care, and kidney health education to ensure everyone has equal access to screenings, early diagnosis and quality treatment. To tackle the shortage of primary care and kidney specialists, we need better training, retention strategies and capacity building among healthcare professionals. Education is key, as is embracing innovation and effective communication. Let’s break the barriers to kidney care worldwide. World Kidney Day calls on everyone to raise awareness about CKD risk factors, boost health literacy, and support long-term treatment adherence. Empowering patients through advocacy and community engagement is key to better health outcomes.
Every year an estimated 50,000 people in the UK are being treated for end stage kidney failure. 90% of those on the transplant waiting list are waiting for a new kidney and sadly there are still not enough organs available.
Geraldine McCrory, Renal Unit Manager at Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex explains:
“The focus on World Kidney Day (WKD) is about preventing kidney disease and highlighting how amazing your kidneys are. The kidneys are complicated and amazing organs that do many essential tasks to keep us healthy.
“The main job of your kidneys is to remove toxins and excess water from your blood. Kidneys also help to control your blood pressure, to produce red blood cells and to keep your bones healthy. Each roughly the size of your fist, kidneys are located deep in the abdomen, beneath the rib cage.
“Your kidneys control blood stream levels of many minerals and molecules including sodium and potassium, and help to control blood acidity. Every day your kidneys carefully control the salt and water in your body so that your blood pressure remains the same. Your kidneys make urine; remove wastes and extra fluid from your blood; control your body’s chemical balance; help control your blood pressure; help keep your bones healthy and help you make red blood cells.”
For WKD we have created eight golden rules to keep your kidneys healthy:-
- 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 risks’ factors.
