Blog
March 09, 2022

March 10th is World Kidney Day!


This year, World Kidney Day continues to raise awareness of the increasing burden of kidney diseases worldwide and to strive for kidney health for everyone, everywhere. The 2022 campaign has been declared "Kidney Health For All" to bring awareness to the persistent and ongoing CKD knowledge gap exists, one that is demonstrable at all levels of healthcare.

To learn more and to get involved, visit worldkidneyday.org 

Kidney Health for All: Bridge the Knowledge Gap to Better Kidney Care

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common and harmful: 1 out of 10 adult people worldwide have it, and if left untreated it can be deadly. While early detection allows for disease care and management to help prevent morbidity and mortality, and improve cost effectiveness and sustainability, kidney disease related mortality continues to increase yearly and is projected to be the 5th leading cause of death by 2040. A persistent and ongoing CKD knowledge gap exists, one that is demonstrable at all levels of healthcare;

  • The community – Obstacles to better kidney health understanding include the complex nature of kidney disease information, low baseline awareness, limited health literacy, limited availability of CKD information, and lack of readiness to learn. (WKD 2020).
  • The healthcare worker – Another barrier to overcome in order to ensure greater awareness is a more focused education of physicians, as they are in charge of the patients’ medical condition. (WKD 2009)/ (WKD 2021)
  • The public health policy makers – Finally, CKD is a global, public health threat but is typically low on government health agendas (WKD 2008) with political commitments on non-communicable disease programs concentrating predominantly on four main diseases – cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease.
This knowledge gap is stifling the fight against kidney disease, and increasing the inherent associated mortality.

Join our call for Kidney Health for All! To learn more about World Kidney Day, visit their website here.


3 Ways to Get Involved This Kidney Day

Learn- Get accurate and clear information about polycystic kidney disease and read answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about an ADPKD or ARPKD diagnosis.

Donate- One of the most powerful ways you can be a part of Kidney Month is by making a gift today. Your donation will help further the PKD Foundation of Canada's mission to promote programs of research, education, advocacy, support and awareness for PKD. Help make a difference in the lives of 66,000 Canadians and 12.5 million people affected by PKD. Donate today! 

Volunteer- The PKD Foundation of Canada chapters and the volunteers who lead them are the backbone of the polycystic kidney disease (PKD) community, driving vital programs around the world. Connect with your local chapter to stay up to date on events within your community and for opportunities to support the PKD Foundation of Canada on a local level. 

Don’t see a chapter near you? Email us to learn about starting a chapter in your local community.