Locals Raise Awareness During Kidney Health Week

The East Grampians Health Service Dialysis is getting behind Kidney Health Week (May 22– 28), Kidney Health Australia’s national awareness week which is urging all Australians to ‘I Kidney Check!’

Approximately 1.7 million Australians have indicators of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), yet less than 10% realise they have the condition. Meanwhile, the general population is largely unaware of the critical role the kidneys play in keeping the body healthy and the crucial need to get their kidneys checked every 12 months.

EGHS Dialysis Nurse Mrs Louise Westrup said: “We’re getting involved in this campaign to let everyone in Ararat know the importance of ‘I Kidney Check’ and to learn about the risk factors and warning signs before it’s too late and they need to go onto dialysis, or get a kidney transplant.”

Mrs Westrup said “the EGHS Dialysis Unit will be hosting a morning tea, charity golf day and ‘I Kidney Checks’ at the Dialysis Unit, all of which are detailed more in advertisements.” 

Peter Armstrong, EGHS director of Clinical Services, believes the general public needs to be more aware of what their kidneys do.

“The kidneys are a vital organ – just like the heart, brain, or lungs – if they shut down, your body shuts down.”

“It is time for Australians to consider ‘I Kidney Check’ and to understand the devastating impact that sick kidneys have on the body. We can also learn about the links between kidney disease and other chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure – one of the most common causes of kidney disease,” said Mr Armstrong.

“In fact, approximately 90% of people aged 18-44 with high blood pressure don’t know it.”

“Prevention and early detection is vital, and I encourage all Australians – particularly those at increased risk – to speak to their GP or pharmacist about checking the health of their kidneys before it’s too late,” he added.

Kidney Health Australia CEO, Anne Wilson said “in Australia, 60 people die with kidney-related disease every day, and more Australians die with diseases of the kidney and urinary tract each year than from breast cancer, prostate cancer, or even road deaths.”

For more information about Kidney Health Week, visit www.kidney.org.au or find Kidney Health Australia on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.