WORLD Kidney Day (Malaysia) 2008 committee organising chairman Dr Goh
Bak Leong feels that the threat to public health today is no longer from communicable diseases but chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and chronic kidney disease.

An increasing number of Malaysians are suffering from diabetes and hypertension, which, says Dr Goh, leads to chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Medical and patients groups in more than 60 countries are united by the knowledge that if they do not act now, the number of lives lost to kidney-related diseases will continue to rise.

CKD is not just a Malaysian disease (there were about 15,000 Malaysians suffering from end state renal failure in 2006 and it is estimated that at least 2,500 more join the list every year). It affects more than 500 million people worldwide —10 per cent of the adult population already has some form of kidney damage.

World Kidney Day serves as a unifying and energising event to bring together all healthcare providers, the public and government bodies in formulating policies that will improve early detection and optimise medical care for sufferers.

To commemorate the World Kidney Day, the Health Ministry and the Malaysian Society of Nephrology are organising various activities for the public at various locations this month. All state hospitals have organised public forum and free screening since Thursday.

Visitors to Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah in Klang will learn about kidney diseases and how to detect and prevent it through a poster exhibition. It is also holding a quiz for members of the public.

Sarawak General Hospital will hold health screening, an exhibition and a children colouring competition at the Boulevard, Kuching today.

On the same day, Sabah will also hold related events at the Shangi-la Tanjung Aru Resort.

Seremban Hospital will hold a 3.5km walkathon on March 23 (7am-noon) fol - lowed by public exhibitions and health screening at Jusco Seremban from noon to 6pm.

It will also hold an exhibition and fo - rums on March 26 from 9am to noon.

Johor will hold a public forum and perform health screening at Hotel Classic Muar tomorrow. Malacca will hold similar events at Kolej Komuniti Masjid Tanah on Tuesday while Perak will do likewise at Hospital Temerloh on March 22.

The National Kidney Foundation of Malaysia, in collaboration with Health Ministry and Malaysian Society of Nephrology, will organise kidney walks, kidney care exhibition and health talk in different languages.

They are also offering health screening via NKF LifeCheck Mobile Health Screening Unit and Children’s Art Competition at Taman Jaya Recreational Park and Amcorp Mall, Petaling Jaya today.

World Kidney was celebrated on March 13. The slogan for this year is ‘Amazing Kidneys’