March 8, World Kidney Day
In the face of a pandemic in constant progression, what needs to be done? “It is necessary to promote – he stresses Piergiorgio Messa, President of SIN, former Director of the Complex Operational Unit of Nephrology, Dialysis and Kidney Transplant – Milan Polyclinic and Full Professor of Nephrology at the University of Milan– greater and more correct information, increasing awareness of chronic kidney diseases and sensitizing the population to healthy lifestyles. And at the same time reaching earlier diagnoses and timely treatments, crucial elements in the fight against what is now a pandemic in constant progression and which by 2040 will represent the fifth leading cause of death worldwide”.
Kidney disease, affected 10% of the adult population
How many people suffer from CKD? “About 10% of the adult population in the world suffers from CKD. Are approximately 850 million people affected and between 2.3 and 7.1 million deaths that are counted every year due to the inability to access dialysis and transplantation. In Italy, this silent pandemic affects approx 4.5 million people. Yet, 7 out of 10 Italians have never undergone tests to check the health of their kidneys (and only 12.3% have done them in the last 3 years); 1 in 3 does not know who the nephrologist, the kidney specialist, is. Where did you get this data from? “These are just some of the alarming data that emerged from the investigation we conducted with Astra Research, which unfortunately return the photograph of a country with an important information gap, which is even wider among the youngest. Data in line with that of diagnostic delay in chronic kidney diseaseso it is clear that we are concerned about the health of the kidneys not with a view to prevention or early intervention, but when the disease is now at an advanced stage that requires dialysis or transplantation “.
World Kidney Day, the initiatives implemented
What are the initiatives implemented on the occasion of World Kidney Day? “This year, in celebrating World Kidney Day, we want to underline the commitment to bridge the knowledge gap (‘bridge the knowledge gap’). Now more necessary than ever. And that’s why we started jointly with FIR (Italian Kidney Foundation) an awareness campaign full of dedicated initiatives. Among these, the information campaign with posters in dialysis centers and pharmacies throughout Italy, or even the free service ‘A Nephrologist at your disposal’ with the ability to send questions to a nephrologist expert via email address. We have also worked synergistically with Caritas and the Nephrology UOC of the Umberto I University Hospital, to launch a free screening campaign aimed at the general population and all those with limited access to diagnostic and therapeutic pathways. Two initiatives, conceived by Professor Sandro Mazzaferro of the SIN Board of Directors, which will take place in Rome and which have the important objective of bringing out the undeclared diagnostics for timely therapies that significantly improve the quality of life of patients with chronic kidney disease. Despite the critical moment due to the events that are upsetting the whole world, we believe that it is important to shed light on kidney diseases that affect an important section of the population and that if not treated they will always claim more and more victims “.