March is kidney nutrition awareness month

The Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. is inviting everyone to join them in Saturday’s Kidney 5K Walk and Fun Run, in celebration of the 2016 World Kidney Day. The event, which will be held for the first time, is part of the National Kidney and Nutrition Awareness Month.

Registration is free and starts at 5am at the Garapan Fishing Base right across Kristo Rai Church and the event will last until 9am. The race starts at 6am.

According to CHCC-Dr. Jose T. Villagomez Center for Dialysis acting unit head nurse Miles Rodriguez March is National Kidney Month with March 10 celebrated as World Kidney Day, “a worldwide initiative to raise awareness about kidney disease.”

“Chronic kidney disease has been a growing concern around the world and our island community is not spared. CKD is a progressive loss in kidney function over a period of months or years,” said Rodriguez.

She added that 8 to 10 percent of the world’s adult population suffers from some form of kidney damage where millions die prematurely because of CKD-related complications. People affected by CKD also increased by 82 percent from a period of 1990 to 2012.

Rodriguez said Pacific Island nations also were among the countries in the world that has the highest cases of diabetes and hypertension, which also causes CKD. The CNMI was not spared as renal disease patients have been increasing every year.

“It is our job as healthcare providers to shed light about this growing concern and to educate on how to slow the progression of the disease once diagnosis has been established,” Rodriguez added.

St. Jude Renal Care, Department of Public Health, Non-Communicable Disease Bureau, and the Northern Marianas College Nursing Club are the other partners of the CHCC-DJTVC dialysis center in organizing the event.

The five groups decided to organize the event to educate the community about renal disease, how to manage it for those already diagnosed with CKD, and how to prevent it for some who are at risk of having the disease.

The 5K walk and fun run will be from Garapan Fishing Base to Oleai Beach Bar & Grill. There will also be booths that will offer free blood pressure and blood screening, education and information booth on how to take care of our kidneys, cooking demonstrations of healthy foods, a Zumba session, and a support panel for those who already have renal disease.

For more information, call Rodriguez at 287-8152 or Chrislaine Pangelinan at 236-8303.