Celebrated every year on the second Thursday of March, World Kidney Day aims at increasing awareness of the importance of our kidneys to our health and on reducing the impact of kidney disease and its related problems worldwide.

This year, World Kidney Day falls on March 8, which is also International Women’s Day. As a tribute to women, the campaign will highlight the unique issues and risks that women face for their kidney health.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) affects roughly 195 million women worldwide and is currently the 8th leading cause of death in women, resulting in 600,000 female deaths each year.

There is a clear need for higher awareness, timely diagnosis and proper follow up of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in women

The risk of developing CKD is slightly higher in women than men. While women are more likely to develop CKD, the number of women benefitting from Renal Replacement Therapy, including dialysis and transplantation, is lower than the number of men, especially in countries where there is no universal access to healthcare.

Women who have CKD are also at increased risk for maternal complications and negative outcomes in pregnancy. The burden of those complications is especially high for women in developing countries, due to insufficient access to universal and timely prenatal care.

To reduce the burden of CKD, there is a clear need for higher awareness, timely diagnosis and proper follow up of CKD in women. Pregnancy can also be a valuable occasion for early diagnosis of CKD, allowing planning of therapeutic interventions.

World Kidney Day promotes affordable and equitable access to health education, healthcare and prevention for kidney diseases for all women and girls in the world.

Visit the World Kidney Day website.