March 12th 2026 will mark the annual World Kidney Day—designed to raise awareness for people suffering with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). With approximately 1 in 10 people diagnosed with kidney disease, that’s 7 million people in the UK alone.
Your kidneys are incredible organs. Their key functions in the body include:
- Waste Filtration
- Fluid and Electrolyte balance
- Blood Pressure regulation
- Red Blood Cell production
- Bone Health
Playing such a vital role in the body, their health is critical. That is why more research is needed into Chronic Kidney Disease as 24 people in the UK start treatment for Kidney failure every day.
Like most organs, Kidneys can be transplanted into patients with CKD to give them a better and longer life. Kidney donation can also come from live donors as it is possible to live with just one kidney.
Hollywood actor, Jesse Eisenberg, recently highlighted this fact by becoming a living kidney donor to an anonoymous recipient in late 2025. He was inspired by a desire to help stating that it was an “obvious thing to do”. With more and more patients stranded on the waiting list in the UK, USA and in other countries, more donors are needed. Living donation only adds to the finite supply.
Post-transplant, kidneys have to be carefully monitored in all transplant types. The anti-rejection drugs needed to keep the new organ and host body in harmony (like Tacrolimus and Cyclosporine) are nephrotoxic by their very nature. Long term use, which is required in transplantation medicine, can cause irreversible kidney damage. Therefore, kidney function is closely monitored (like eGFR levels) to check how well a recipient’s kidneys are filtering waste products.
It is a cruel equation that, the longer a transplant patient survives with their donated organ, the more likely they are to need intervention for kidneys problems later down the line. However, given the altruistic nature of organ donation, the kindness of donors, and the fact that a second chance at life has been granted, it is a comparitively small price to pay.
Please look after your kidneys by drinking plenty of water, reducing salt intake, eating a balanced diet rich in vegatables, and exercising as often as you can. They will, in turn, look after you!
