World Kidney Day 2025
Dr Liaqat Ali
The World Kidney Day 2025 will be observed today (March 13), with the theme: “Are your kidneys ok? Detect early, protect kidney health”. The essence of this year’s slogan aligns with the well-known saying: “Prevention is better than treatment.” This principle holds particularly true for kidney health, as the financial and medical burden of kidney diseases is immense. Even developed nations such as the United States and European countries struggle with the costs of managing kidney-related illnesses. For a developing country like Pakistan, where the per capita healthcare expenditure is only $45 per year, the challenge is even greater. The treatment of kidney diseases, especially end-stage renal failure requiring dialysis or transplantation, can financially devastate even the middle-class families. So, the best way forward is prevention.
In Pakistan, the most common causes of kidney diseases include; diabetes mellitus, hypertension (high blood pressure), a combination of diabetes and hypertension, kidney stones (renal calculi), and urological cancers.
Preventing kidney diseases requires mass public awareness about their severity, symptoms and long-term consequences. Many people remain unaware of how kidney disease progresses silently, often being diagnosed at an advanced stage when treatment becomes expensive, difficult, or even impossible. Simple yet effective preventive measures can significantly reduce the risk of kidney failure.
The cornerstone of prevention is controlling diabetes and hypertension, which account for the majority of kidney failure cases in Pakistan. Patients must seek treatment from qualified specialists instead of quacks or traditional healers, who often misdiagnose or provide harmful remedies.
Kidney stones are the fourth leading cause of kidney failure in Pakistan. Unfortunately, due to a lack of health education, many people take painkillers (NSAIDs) and antibiotics without proper prescriptions, masking the symptoms of kidney stones and delaying diagnosis. Additionally, the use of steroids in alternative medicine worsens kidney damage. However, kidney stones are easily diagnosable and treatable through basic medical tests, which are available in almost every district and city of Pakistan. Early detection and proper management can prevent serious complications.
The World Kidney Day 2025 slogan is a global call to action for kidney care. Basic medical tests such as urine analysis (to check for proteins, glucose and casts), blood tests (urea and creatinine levels) and ultrasound scans can detect over 80% of kidney diseases. By adopting a healthy lifestyle, reducing NSAID (painkiller) use, staying hydrated, avoiding energy drinks and quitting smoking, people can protect their kidney health.
So, it is high time to pause and reflect: Are our kidneys ok? The key to avoiding kidney failure is awareness, prevention and regular check-ups. Let’s take responsibility for our health before it is too late.
The writer is a clinician, medical educationist and researcher. He is working as a professor of urology at the Institute of Kidney Diseases (IKD), Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC), Peshawar. He can be reached at: liaqatikd@gmail.com.
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