Is Your Kidney Health Okay?

World Kidney Day (WKD) 2025 was observed on March 13, marking a global initiative to raise awareness about the critical role of our kidneys. This annual campaign emphasizes the importance of kidney health.

With the theme for the year-long campaign, “Are Your Kidneys OK? Detect Early, Protect Kidney Health”, it underscores the profound impact early detection and timely intervention can have in preventing and managing kidney disease.

The Ghana Kidney Association marked the day with a range of activities, including a webinar on March 13, chaired by Prof. Sampson Antwi.

It featured seasoned kidney specialists such as Prof. Vincent Boima, Dr Beatrice Nyann, Perditer Okyere, Elliot Koranteng Tannor and Edward Kwakyi.

The objectives of World Kidney Day include:
• Raising awareness about our “amazing kidneys” highlights that diabetes and high blood pressure are key risk factors for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).
• Encouraging systematic screening of all patients with diabetes and hypertension for CKD.
• Encouraging preventive behaviours.
• Educating all medical professionals about their key role in detecting and reducing the risk of CKD, particularly in high-risk populations.
• Stressing the important role of local and national health authorities in controlling the CKD epidemic.
• Encouraging Transplantation as a best-outcome option for kidney failure and the act of organ donation as a life-saving initiative

In achieving this objective, the Ghana Kidney Association has been conducting educational programmes and screening for kidney disease every year during WKD events.

The association has been to almost every region in Ghana to educate Ghanaians and to conduct free screening programmes for kidney disease and its risk factors. These advocacy programmes are important because the burden of chronic kidney disease is on the rise.

It is expected that in low-to-middle-income countries, the burden is at least three to four times that of high-income countries.

The individuals most affected by kidney disease in these countries are typically young, between the ages of 20 to 50 years, representing the economically active segment of society. Unfortunately, many of them are unable to afford the high costs of dialysis or kidney transplantation.

As a result, prevention is crucial in addressing the growing burden of kidney disease.

While most people are born with two kidneys, there are rare cases where individuals are born with only one.

The primary role of the kidneys is to filter toxins and waste products from the blood. In addition to this, the kidneys are responsible for regulating blood pressure, maintaining healthy bones, balancing water levels, controlling acid-base balance, and producing erythropoietin, a hormone that plays a vital role in the production of red blood cells.

Source: hypesmedisgh.com