March marks National Kidney Month: a month dedicated to raising awareness about the kidneys, how to keep them healthy, and the impact on various kidney diseases on people all across the country. 

Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that help filter waste and extra fluids from your body. These wastes and extra fluids are then excreted from your body through urine. When your kidneys aren’t functioning properly, it makes it more difficult to filter these wastes and fluids, which can lead to many different health effects. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) shares that you can lose up to 60% of your kidney function before you notice any issues.

There are a number of conditions, both common and rare, that cause issues in the kidneys. Membranous nephropathy, for example, causes small blood vessels in the kidneys to become thickened and inflamed; autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) causes cysts to form on the kidneys, impeding function. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects an estimated 37 million people, but almost 90% aren’t even aware that they are affected. If you are obese, have diabetes or heart disease, or have a family history of CKD, you’re at risk of developing it.

National Kidney Month: Kidney Equity for All

The National Kidney Foundation also shared that people of Hispanic or Latino, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander descent are at an increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease. In a news release about National Kidney Month, the National Kidney Foundation also stated that Black individuals are 4x more likely, and Hispanics about 2x more likely, to develop kidney failure than White individuals.

This is why, for National Kidney Month, the Foundation is advocating for Kidney Equity for All. This patient-focused, community-minded movement aims to address and reduce the health disparities around kidney health. As discussed above, Black and Hispanic communities often face much higher rates of kidney disease, kidney failure, and kidney-related death when compared to other groups. However, health inequities have been pervasive throughout history and still exist today. These inequities mean that these communities often face barriers to care, including diagnostic delays, difficulties receiving a transplant, and issues such as medical gaslighting when speaking with physicians.

The National Kidney Foundation is working to overcome these barriers through various measures. For example, the Foundation offers a quiz to help people understand the risk of developing CKD, is performing outreach to underserved communities through CKDIntercept program, is working to increase kidney screening measures for high-risk groups, lead the Organ Procurement Transplant Network to require race-free equations in determining who gets a transplant, and has proposed removing a race qualifier for the Kidney Disease Risk Index. 

You too can make a difference for National Kidney Month. 

Here are some of the ways that you can step in, raise kidney awareness, and advocate for improved inclusion and equity within the healthcare space:

• Share Kidney Equity for All: Consider sharing information on National Kidney Month and the Kidney Equity for All movement on your social media platforms, or reach out to your local news stations to ask them to share a story on unmet healthcare needs within underserved communities. By ramping up awareness and understanding, we can come together to encourage physicians and more to focus on equitable solutions.
• Celebrate World Kidney Day: World Kidney Day takes place this year on March 14, 2024. Use this time (and the hashtag #WorldKidneyDay) to share your stories or to spread educational materials, resources, or other patient stories.
• Donate: Consider donating to the National Kidney Fund to advance research, education, and advocacy. Donations ensure that the Foundation can work towards a world where every person with kidney disease is given the care they deserve. During March, you can even double the impact of your donations.