World Kidney Day Newsletter
Welcome to our latest newsletter
12 March is World Kidney Day and the theme this year is ‘Kidney Health for All- Caring for People, Protecting the Planet’. We’re delighted that Gloria Munoz (Lead Nurse for AKC at Imperial, and Co-Chair UKKA Sustainable Kidney Care Committee) has guest edited much of our newsletter to share a wealth of resources and ideas to help make kidney care in London greener.
What is your unit doing for World Kidney Day? Could you organise something to get your team taking action to improve sustainability. Click here to find out more about what you could do 2026 Activities guide
World Kidney Day 2026 Kidney Health for All – Caring for People, protecting the Planet.
Detecting CKD early not only preserves kidney function but also reduces the need for resource-intensive treatments and improves long-term outcomes. Environmental changes are now adding to this burden. Climate-related risks compound the risks of CKD and accelerate its progression. Treatments for end-stage kidney disease, particularly dialysis, are resource-intensive: they require large volumes of water, energy, and single-use plastics, and generate greenhouse gas emissions. A single hemodialysis session can have a carbon footprint equivalent to driving a car for nearly 240 kilometers.
At the 78th World Health Assembly, the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted its first-ever resolution dedicated to kidney disease. This historic decision elevates kidney health as a global public health priority, recognising World Kidney Day as a formal observance and urging action on prevention, awareness, treatment access, and environmental risk reduction.
To mark this year’s World Kidney Day, the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the World Kidney Day Campaign are hosting a live webinar on Wednesday 04 March at 1300 GMT. Fiona Loud – Policy director of Kidney Care UK, and Gloria Munoz – Imperial College NHS Trust Lead Nurse for Advanced Kidney Care and Co-Chair for the UKKA Sustainable Kidney Care Committee, will be presenting along side others from around this world.
You can join the discussion here:
World Kidney Day 2026 Webinar: Kidney Health for All – Caring for People, Protecting the Planet – International Society of Nephrology
Do you know how Green or Sustainable your Kidney Unit is?
The Carbon footprint of Kidney Care has been estimated in the UK to be 18 times higher than any other specialty.
The UKKA Sustainable Kidney Care Committee, via the UKKR, has been collecting self-assessment data on how green kidney care provider hospitals are since last summer. You can find out what the results are showing so far, here: Sustainable Kidney Care
As well as trying to improve sustainability as a Unit and Organisation, there are things we can do personally that help. Get inspired here 12 things we can do as individuals to become greener | Sustainable Healthcare Networks Hub
What are the current Sustainable Kidney Care initiatives in your units? Would you like to become a Sustainability Champion?
You can contact Gloria gloria.munoz1@nhs.net to arrange a Sus Kidney Care session for your Multidisciplinary renal team. Many kidney units have already held sessions for their teams, with fantastic engagement and feedback.
Follow the Sustainable Kidney Care Toolkit through this link to find a list of easy to replicate examples in the list of resources Sustainable Kidney Care
And finally, check out KIDNEYLIFE Spring Edition 2026- the magazine of the National Kidney Federation. They included a Sustainable Kidney Care article on page 15 Kidney Life | National Kidney Federation
‘Top tips to setting up green initiatives’
1. Establish a Sustainable Network or Committee in your Kidney Hospital (you can’t do it all on your own).
2. Focus on Patient Empowerment (to achieve prevention, autonomy, and activation so, they can take control back)- Patients really want to get involved!
3. Lean Pathways (a simple process mapping will help you identify waste and duplication in your clinical pathways)
Training and education
November 2025 UKKA Sustainable Kidney Care Committee webinar
In November 2025, the UKKA Sustainable Kidney Care Committee held their 2 nd Webinar with a unique global reach. they spotlit Sus QI initiatives from the UK and what’s possible when turning waste into life. From Dialysis to Aquaculture — who would have thought, a project from Malaysia involved kidney patients, school students, and clinicians. It looked at re-using RO reject water to grow food sustainably. This SKC webinar recording is available here Sustainable Kidney Care (2025 November) and also here Sustainable Kidney Care Committee | UK Kidney Association
Did you know a Sustainable Kidney Care Educational Module was incorporated into Nursing Postgraduate Renal Course at King’s College London and Sheffield Universities since 2024? If you would like this module to be taught at the university where your hospital nurses complete a Renal Course, you can contact Gloria Munoz at gloria.munoz1@nhs.net
Reduce Reuse Recycle
The Pregnancy AKI Global Consortium Home – Global PrAKI Consortium led by Kate Bramham and Katherine Clark from King’s are developing a pathway for acute PD, supported by ISN Saving Young Lives.
They are planning several training activities for obstetricians/midwives and nephrologists from low income countries with high burden of disease. Approximately a quarter of patients receiving dialysis are pregnancy related and resources are stretched, and many young mothers are dying unnecessarily.
They are asking you to donate any expired PD catheters – to be used for training workshops. Please contact mairead.hamill@kcl.ac.uk or kate.bramham@kcl.ac.uk if you can help.