Thursday the 10th of March will be World Kidney Day. This celebration, taking place on the second Thursday of every March since 2006, was established by two organizations, the International Federation of Kidney Foundations and the International Society of Nephrology, to raise awareness of kidney diseases, especially chronic kidney disease (CKD). As kidney diseases may not lead to noticeable symptoms until late, it is important to know the risk factors and be tested regularly.
The theme for this year, ‘Protect your Kidneys and Save Your Heart’, focuses on the link between CKD and cardiovascular health. While CKD is not associated with BHD syndrome, events will not be limited to CKD; people in over 100 countries will be reflecting on kidney diseases and kidney health and so World Kidney Day is a day to celebrate.
In Switzerland, the kidneys will have a high profile: there will be an art installation involving 30000 litres of water right in front of the Parliament in Bern. Events around the world also include scientific conferences, awareness walks, salt-free cooking classes and free/low-cost kidney screening (fluid tests to estimate glomerular filtration rate as a measure of kidney function). Click here to see the list of events. Visit the map on the World Kidney Day site to see if there will be free screening centres in your area. If you would like to participate online, World Kidney day invites you to post photos and videos of how you spent the day.
We hope you enjoy the celebration next week and are encouraged to take good care of your kidneys!
www.bhdsyndrome.org – the primary online resource for anyone interested in BHD Syndrome.
