Saint Lucia will observe World Kidney Day today, under the theme “Kidney Disease and Obesity – Healthy Lifestyles for Healthy Kidneys.”

Consultant Nephrologist Dr. Merle Clarke, said it is important to sensitize the public about kidney health.

“World Kidney Day came about 11 years ago, because a need was recognized by the International Society of Nephrology to educate the world population on the far-reaching negative implications of chronic kidney disease,” she said. “It is a major public health issue not only in Saint Lucia but around the world. It is one of the long-term complications of uncontrolled diabetes, and uncontrolled hypertension. There are other conditions that can lead to chronic kidney disease, but by far, approximately 70 percent of cases of chronic kidney disease that we see are secondary to those two major non-communicable diseases.”

Dr. Merlene Fredericks, Chief Medical Officer at the Ministry of Health explained the link between kidney disease and obesity.

“Obesity can aggravate the kidneys and can cause kidney disease. It is also one of the key risk factors for the development of other chronic non-communicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes. Obesity works in two ways, it can act directly by putting the strain on the kidneys, and it can act indirectly by causing someone to develop diabetes or hypertension which can then go on to cause kidney damage.”

In Saint Lucia the bulk of kidney disease cases are linked to non-communicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension, she said, adding that governments are taking steps to address non-communicable diseases at the policy level.

“This year is the tenth anniversary of the Port of Spain Declaration where CARICOM Heads of Government came together and made a number of commitments toward decreasing the impact of non-communicable diseases. At the policy level, countries are expected to increase taxes on tobacco and alcohol; and accordingly, Saint Lucia currently has one of the highest rates of taxes in the Caribbean on tobacco products,” she said.

This week, the Saint Lucia Renal Association in conjunction with the Bureau of Health Education launched a number of activities aimed at increasing public awareness of the importance of kidney health and the implications of chronic kidney disease, including a green ribbon initiative, the proceeds of which support kidney health sensitization efforts.