Every year, thesecond Thursday of March is celebrated all over the world as World Kidney Day. Jointly organized by the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF), this global awareness campaign is conducted to create awareness about prevention, risk factors and to create awareness about how to live with a kidney disease. This year, the theme of the World Kidney Day was “Kidney Disease & Children. Act Early to Prevent It!”

In connection with World Kidney Day 2016, the Department of Nephrology at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, organized various public awareness programs in Kochi, especially in schools aimed at educating teachers and parents about how to recognize symptoms of kidney disease in children at the earliest. Awareness programs included an audio-video presentation which had a “kidney song”, interactive sessions by nephrologists and pamphlet distribution. The message was spread to more than 5000 children directly. Interactive programs were held in Bhavan’s Vidyamandir, Elamakkara, Al Ameen School, Edapally and Amrita Vidyalayam, Edapally.