Focus on risk factors as Kenya marks world kidney day

Kenya will on Thursday join the rest of the world in marking World Kidney Day.

This is part of a global campaign to raise awareness about preventive behaviours, risk factors and people living with kidney disease.

The day will be marked at the Kenyatta National Hospital under the theme ‘Kidney health for all- preparing for the unexpected, supporting the vulnerable’.

It is estimated that in Kenya, five million people are battling chronic kidney disease.

The 2023 campaign will focus on raising awareness about disastrous events, natural or man-made, international or local, and their impact on people living with kidney disease whose access to appropriate diagnostic services, treatment, and care is hindered.

Kidneys filter all the blood in the body every 30 minutes.

They work hard to remove wastes, toxins, and excess fluid as well as help control blood pressure, stimulate the production of red blood cells, keep bones healthy, and regulate blood chemicals that are essential to life.

Having kidney disease means your kidneys are damaged and can't filter blood the way they should.

Experts associate kidney disease to risk factors such as diabetes or high blood pressure. If you experience kidney failure, treatments include kidney transplant or dialysis.