World Kidney Day 2026: Experts Urge Early Screening as Chronic Kidney Disease Affects 1 in 10 People Globally

On the occasion of World Kidney Day, Mankind Pharma, in association with leading healthcare experts, is calling for greater awareness around kidney health, highlighting that chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects nearly 10% of the global population and is often detected only at advanced stages due to the absence of early warning signs.

Kidneys play a vital role in maintaining overall health by filtering waste, balancing fluids, regulating blood pressure and supporting several metabolic functions in the body. However, one of the biggest challenges with kidney disease is that it often develops silently. Medical experts warn that an individual can lose up to 90% of kidney function without noticeable symptoms, making early screening and preventive care critical.

As part of its World Kidney Day initiative, Mankind Pharma is promoting awareness around kidney health and the importance of early detection through educational outreach and expert-led discussions. The initiative also focuses on encouraging individuals to proactively monitor key health indicators such as blood pressure, blood sugar and kidney function through simple diagnostic tests.

India is currently facing a growing kidney health crisis. According to global health studies, nearly 138 million people in India are living with chronic kidney disease, making it the second-highest burden of CKD globally. Research also suggests that 13–17% of adults in the country may be living with some stage of kidney disease, many of whom remain undiagnosed until the condition has significantly progressed.

The treatment burden is equally concerning. Experts estimate that India requires nearly 200,000 kidney transplants every year, but only about 13,500 transplants are performed, meeting less than 6% of the actual demand. The shortage of organ donors continues to be a major challenge, with India’s organ donation rate remaining below one donor per million population, far lower than many developed nations. In India, the rising prevalence of diabetes and hypertension continues to drive the growing burden of chronic kidney disease. Lifestyle factors such as high-salt diets, unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyles further increase the risk. With India often referred to as the diabetes capital of the world, experts emphasise that individuals with diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity or a family history of kidney disease must be particularly vigilant about regular health check-ups.

Dr. Anant Kumar, Chairman – Urology, Renal Transplant and Robotics, Max Saket Complex and Uro-Oncology, MSSH Saket, said

Chronic kidney disease often progresses silently and remains undetected until it reaches advanced stages. Individuals with diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity or a family history of kidney disease should undergo regular screening through simple tests such as blood creatinine, urine analysis and blood pressure monitoring. Early diagnosis plays a crucial role in slowing the progression of the disease and improving patient outcomes.

Arjun Juneja, COO, Mankind Pharma said,

World Kidney Day serves as an important reminder that prevention and early detection are key to tackling the growing burden of kidney disease. By encouraging regular health screenings, promoting healthier lifestyle choices and raising awareness about kidney health, we aim to empower individuals to take proactive steps toward protecting their long-term health.

As part of the awareness campaign, the company is also highlighting the importance of following simple preventive practices for kidney health. These include staying physically active, maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, regularly monitoring blood pressure, following a balanced diet with controlled salt intake, staying well hydrated, avoiding the unnecessary use of painkillers and undergoing routine kidney function tests, particularly for individuals at higher risk.

Experts stress that timely screening, better lifestyle choices and increased public awareness can play a critical role in preventing kidney disease and slowing its progression. With the burden of CKD continuing to rise globally and in India, World Kidney Day serves as an important opportunity to encourage individuals to prioritise kidney health and adopt preventive healthcare practices.

Sources

• The Lancet Study
• MoHFW CKD Guidelines
• PubMed CKD Prevalence Review
• NOTTO Organ Donation Data
• Financial Express Coverage

About Mankind Pharma

Mankind Pharma (BSE: 543904 | NSE: MANKIND) is one of the largest pharmaceutical company in India, which focuses on the domestic market with its Pan India presence. Mankind operates at the intersection of the Indian pharmaceutical formulations and consumer healthcare sectors with the aim of providing quality products at affordable prices. The company is a leading player in the domestic pharmaceuticals business present across acute and chronic therapeutic areas including anti-infectives, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, antidiabetic, neuro/CNS, gynecology, VMN and respiratory, among others with a strategy to increase chronic presence going ahead. In the consumer healthcare business, the company operates in condoms, pregnancy detection, emergency contraceptives, antacid powders, vitamin and mineral supplements and anti-acne preparations categories, among others, with several category-leading brands. Following the acquisition of Bharat Serums and Vaccines Limited, Mankind Pharma has further strengthened its leadership in the domestic women’s health segment. Mankind's distribution network includes a robust field force of 17,700+ professionals, and a reach extending to over five lakh doctors across urban and rural markets. The company has 32 manufacturing facilities manufacturing a wide range of dosage forms, including tablets, capsules, syrups, vials, ampoules, blow fill seal, soft and hard gels, eye drops, creams, contraceptives and other over-the-counter products. Mankind has a consistent track record of product innovation through 6 dedicated R&D facilities backed by more than 730 scientists.

Alniche Lifesciences Launches Health App on This World Kidney Day Enabling Assisting Doctors to Impart Guidance to CKD Patients

Alniche Lifesciences Launches Health App on this World Kidney Day

Assisting doctors to impart guidance to CKD patients through this user-friendly app

On the occasion of World Kidney Day, Alniche launches Health App for CKD (chronic kidney disease) patients.

The app offers a wide range of information like kidney health, exercises, daily health routine, burst the myths revolving around diet of CKD and dialysis patients along with easy and healthy recipes safe for patients within the nutritional guidelines.

Patients with CKD face challenges in their daily lives and require regular assistance with the type of food they eat, the recipes with specific ingredients and more. People with compromised kidney function adhere to a renal or kidney diet to cut down on the amount of waste in their blood. Since dialysis is a continuous process, the patient might find it as a hindrance to normal life, with many dietary and lifestyle changes. Although, following a kidney diet may also help promote kidney function and slow down the progression of complete kidney failure.

“This digital initiative of Alniche via Health app will not only help patients and their caregivers but also saves doctors’ time by educating patients for maintaining kidney health” shares Girish Arora, Founder & MD – Alniche Lifesciences.

“This app is just the beginning, with the innovative technology and a vision to provide better healthcare, we will upgrade the app features in the future and make it ready for other patients suffering from Diabetes and other chronic diseases” added Girish.

Managing Kidney Health During Covid-19

As part of its Patient Education Programme (PEP) and respecting the lockdown and the social distancing norms set by the Government of India to combat the rapid spread of COVID-19, Neuberg Diagnostics Private Limited, a StartUp in the PathLab chain segment, today organised Patient Education Program in the form of a Webinar. The Webinar was addressed by Dr. Girish N. S., Head of Nephrology Department, Columbia Asia Hospitals (Hebbal). Dr. Girish spoke about managing kidney health during these COVID-19 times and the lockdown period.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Aishwarya Vasudevan, Group COO, Neuberg Diagnostics Private Limited said, “People with kidney ailments are at a higher risk for COVID-19. Those on dialysis can have weaker immune systems, making it harder to fight infections. Hence it is imperative for kidney patients to continue with their regularly scheduled dialysis treatments and to take necessary precautions as recommended by their doctors. We are happy to be hosting Dr. Girish to talk about kidney care during these atypical times on account of the coronavirus scare. His recommendations will be very useful for people suffering from kidney ailments during these lockdown days."

Dr Girish N. S. has vast experience in the field of Nephrology and Kidney transplantation. He completed his Nephrology training from Cambridge, United Kingdom and was a Consultant at The Royal London Hospital (UK) prior to relocation to India. He spent 11yrs in the UK mastering the art of medicine, nephrology and kidney transplantation. Combination of an Indian and International experience has given him the extra edge of managing a variety of complicated cases.

He currently heads the Nephrology, Dialysis and Kidney transplant program at Columbia Asia Hospitals, Hebbal. He is one of the first few to perform Interhospital Swap transplants in South India. He has been instrumental in starting ABO incompatible and paired exchange (swap) kidney transplant program in CAH. He has expertise in the field of Acute Kidney Injury, Chronic kidney disease, Haemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis. He has a strong academic background with numerous presentations and publications in peer review journals.

During his address, Dr. Girish mentioned that the COVID-19 infection presents a special threat to patients with CKD (chronic kidney disease), especially to those on dialysis and kidney transplant recipients. According to him, Hemodialysis patients may have milder clinical disease than other patients with COVID-19 infection.

He gave numerous tips that people who are prone to kidney disease could use during these lockdown days to manage their kidney health. These include… 

• Engaging in regular exercise as it can lower the risk of kidney disease and can lower blood pressure and help with heart health.


• Controlling blood sugar level, especially for diabetic patients as this, may result in Kidney damage.


• Monitoring high blood pressure in a diabetic or heart patient which if not monitored could lead to significant health problems.


• Maintaining a healthy diet - low in sodium like fish, whole grains, blueberries, and cauliflower and manage weight especially for people who are overweight.


• Keeping oneself hydrated (1.5 - 2 Litres) as this can remove toxins from the body and could also help with the removal of kidney stones. 


• Control smoking as this could increase the chances of developing Kidney Cancer.


• Avoiding the intake of medicines without prescriptions as there are chances where medicines that can damage the kidneys.


• Keeping a tab on their kidney health and not miss treatments, dialysis and transplant procedures even if it involves travelling to a hospital / clinic during the lockdown, as delaying treatment could complicate the health condition severely 

The Webinar saw participation by over 100 individuals, mainly those with kidney ailments, their near & dear ones and those who were eager to learn more about managing kidney health during COVID-19 and the lockdown.