Free health screening for World Kidney Day

Staff from Whangarei Hospital's Renal Unit will have a stall in central Whangarei on 13 March, to mark World Kidney Day.


The hospital staff will be located in the Cameron Street mall from 10am to 2pm. Members of the public will be able to have free on-the-spot blood pressure and blood sugar tests.

A stall will also be set up in the front entrance foyer of Whangarei Hospital to provide the same service for hospital visitors and staff.

The teams will have referral forms on hand so they can refer people to their GP if further testing is warranted.

Tafale Maddren, Northland DHB's Clinical Nurse Specialist, Pre-Dialysis, said: "We really want to raise awareness about kidney disease, which is a major cause of chronic illness in Northland. The earlier the signs of kidney disease are detected, the better the outcome. Optimal blood pressure and blood sugar control will delay irreversible kidney damage.

"We also encourage people to adopt a healthy lifestyle - quitting smoking, taking regular exercise, having a balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight."

Around 40 per cent of new referrals to the Northland renal service are people with diabetes. Maori and Pacific people are at the highest risk of developing diabetes and going on to develop kidney disease.

The theme for World Kidney Day 2008 is "Amazing Kidneys!", reflecting that fact that every day, our kidneys filter and clean 200 litres of blood.

World Kidney Day was launched in 2006 as a means of raising awareness of the importance of our kidneys and to spread the message that kidney disease is common, harmful and treatable.

Worldwide chronic, non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes have replaced communicable diseases as the leading public health threat, accounting for 72 per cent of the total burden of disease in people aged over 30.



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For further information, please contact:

Clare Blackburn, Communications Manager

Northland District Health Board 

Phone (09) 430 4101 ext 3315