Today marks World Kidney Day

By Celeste Ganga
13 March 2008


Today marks World Kidney Day. It’s been reported that chronic kidney disease and other major chronic non-communicable diseases will claim the lives of 36 million people by the year 2015.

World Kidney Day was started when the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney (IFKF) established that the only response to this global crisis is early detection and prevention.

As an immediate response to this alarming prospect, the ISN and IFKF jointly announced the launch of an annual World Kidney Day (WKD) to be held on the second Thursday of March, starting with Thursday March 9, 2006.

According to the World Kidney Day website the cost of treating these chronic diseases (already 80% of many health care budgets) represents a leading threat to public health and healthcare resources worldwide. The only feasible global response to this pending health and socio-economic crisis is chronic disease prevention.


As part of this day Western Cape Health MEC Pierre Uys will visit the Red Cross Children's Hospital's Renal Unit.

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