World Kidney Day is observed annually on the Second Thursday in March. World Kidney Day is a joint initiative of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF). World Kidney Day is a global health awareness campaign focusing on the importance of the kidneys and reducing the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide.

The theme for 2016 will focus on Kidney Disease & Children: Act Early to Prevent It.

Facts about Kidneys

• The blood flow in kidneys is higher than the blood flow in heart, liver and brain.
• Inside each kidney are right around a million nephrons. These are tiny filters that catch all of the stuff going through your blood. All of the waste from your blood goes out into your urine.
• The kidneys keep the amount of fluid constant in your body. Adults have around 7-8 liters of blood, and this is constantly filtered by the kidneys, as much as 400 times per day.
• The kidneys also sense the amount of oxygen in the blood. If they aren’t getting enough oxygen, they will make a hormone that sends a signal to your body to make more red blood cells, which are the cells in blood that carry oxygen.
• Once a person reaches the age of 40, the number of functional nephrons present in each kidney start falling at a rate of 1% a year.
• The first ever successful kidney transplant was conducted by Dr. Joseph E. Murray in December 1954. The transplant was between two identical twins.