World Kidney Day Celebrated for the First Time in AL Ain
In affiliation with Johns Hopkins Medicine and Amgen, Tawam organizes an awareness program at Tawam Hospital

March 13, 2008
AL Ain, UAE
Tawam Hospital, the region's leading medical institution in affiliation with Johns Hopkins Medicine and in collaboration with Amgen, a supplier for dialysis treatments, will come together on the 13th of March for the first World Kidney Day celebration in the AL Ain. In fact this date heralds the third annual celebration to be marked in over 60 countries worldwide.

Dr. Samra Abouchacra, Chair of the Department of Nephrology and Chair of Academic Affairs at Tawam and John Hopkins Hospital, said: “Thursday will bring to attention the seriousness of kidney disease globally and it is with great pleasure that we are marking this day for the first time here in the Emirates with the key message that kidney disease is common, harmful and treatable. At Tawam, and in line with the founder of the World Kidney Day, Mr. Joel Kopple, also founder of International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF), we believe in creating awareness of kidney diseases and the threats these have on public health.”

World Kidney Day offers a crucial, visible opportunity to inform and educate health policy-makers, people who are at highest risk of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), and the general public. The motivated kidney healthcare professionals at Tawam Hospital, in affiliation with Johns Hopkins Medicine, are committed to detecting kidney problems and treating patients with effective therapies and health care practices. Tawam Hospital will conduct activities and interact with the patients and visitors to the hospital’s polyclinic.

“Less than 5% of the general population knows where the kidneys are located and what they do. The World Kidney Day 2008 international campaign theme Amazing Kidneys! stresses that kidneys are truly amazing. We want the general public to know simple facts about what kidneys and what they do for us on a daily basis. An example of this is that every day our kidneys filter and clean 200 liters of blood. Kidneys are vital organs, performing many functions to keep the blood clean and chemically balanced. We are very happy to be partnering with Amgen on this momentous occasion,” added Abouchacra.

Recent statistics indicate that renal failure is on the rise and World Health Organization (WHO) reported that approximately sixty-six thousand (66 000) kidneys were transplanted in 2005 globally and represent a mere 10% of estimated demands. In the same year, approximately 21,000 liver transplants and 6,000 hearts transplants globally, of which 2,125 in the USA alone, indicating that the number of kidney transplants performed was three times greater than the second most transplanted organ (the liver).