Celebrate World Kidney Day with us!
On March 12, 2015, we invite everyone to drink a glass of water and give one too to celebrate their kidneys.
This is a symbolic gesture to remember that kidneys are vital organs and that they should be taken care of; it is a way to make people more conscious about their lifestyle choices. It is a conversation starter to raise awareness about the risks, dangers and burden of kidney disease and how to prevent and treat it time…
Participating is easy! Take a picture of yourself drinking and giving a glass of water. Tweet it @worldkidneyday with the message: “Today I celebrate #worldkidneyday. I drink and give a #glassofwater because #isupportwkd”. Share it our Facebook page! If you don’t have access to social media, you can send your picture by e-mail to [email protected]
You picture will appear in the photo gallery below.
(This is a symbolic action and it is not intended to make a scientific statement about the benefits of drinking water on kidney health, therefore please make sure to always state the following disclaimer when spreading the word about this idea: “Water may protect your kidneys, but it won’t cure from Chronic kidney disease”).
This year’s theme “Kidney Health for All” makes this call to action even more meaningful since it also helps highlight a number of key issues and challenges in tackling Chronic Kidney Disease in vulnerable populations: poor water hygiene, lack of hydration and unhealthy choice of beverages.
A large portion of the world lacks access to safe water and many diseases that adversely affect kidneys are water-borne. For this reason, on World Kidney Day, we would also like to encourage our partners to advocate access to clean water for all.
Studies have shown that people drinking sodas on a daily basis have higher risk of developing some level of CKD. This is because soft drinks increase the level of protein in the urine, which is considered an early marker of kidney damage. By inviting everyone to raise a glass of water for their kidneys on World Kidney Day, we would also like to highlight this issue and encourage everyone to make the healthy choice of drinking water instead of soft drinks.
Spotlight: Central America
At present there is an alarming epidemic of CKD in Central America. It mostly affects young men working in sugarcane plantations. Its cause remains unknown and is not associated with the usual causes of CKD such as diabetes and hypertension. A common feature is the presence of recurrent dehydration and exposure to extremely hot temperatures. By inviting people to celebrate WKD and raise a glass of water, we should also remind them of the paramount importance of keeping hydrated and maintaining the right fluid intake to reduce the risk of CKD.
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