14 March 2019 World Kidney Day at the Radboudumc

28 February 2019

On 14 March it is World Kidney Day and is themed: “Kidney health for everyone, everywhere”. Worldwide numerous activities are planned to make people aware on the issues of kidney disorders and by which measures on prevention, early detection and the treatment of patients the increasing amount of patients currently affected with kidney disorders could be decreased. The Radboudumc organizes several activities for primary school children.

It is essential to make children aware, at an early age, on the function of our kidneys and the necessity of a healthy lifestyle
Researchers and medical doctors of the Radboudumc research theme Renal disorders, will introduce children to kidneys, their function and why they are vital for healthy human beings. During the day, researchers will perform several experiments and demonstrate the importance of kidneys. “It is essential to make children aware, at an early age, on the function of our kidneys and to prime their minds into thinking about health and the necessity of a healthy lifestyle”, says Jitske Jansen, scientific researcher at renal pathology and pediatric nephrology, Radboudumc.

The children will learn about the importance of a healthy lifestyle for their kidneys. They will be made aware of the enormous amounts of salt in our daily diet and the effect of it on our kidneys. Finally, the children will form a “life-size” kidney, where they will pass on buckets of yellow water (“urine”), which contain small balls (“waste molecules”) thereby explaining the function of our kidneys.

Next to the children’s program, renal patients and (other) interested people who applied via the Radboudumc renal patient association, will receive a tour through the laboratories of both departments of Pathology and Physiology in which current renal research will be presented.