In celebration of World Kidney Day 2025, the Irish Kidney Association (IKA), the registered charity which supports thousands of kidney patients and their families across the country, is launching a national fundraising drive alongside its ‘1 in 10 People’ kidney health awareness campaign. This initiative will focus on Saturday, 8th March with volunteers from the charity’s 25 branches collecting in ALDI stores in their local communities. Campaign activities will continue through to World Kidney Day on Thursday, 13th March.
The IKA is calling on individuals, families, businesses and organisations across the country to help make a difference in the lives of people living with, and affected by kidney disease and support it in its provision of vital services to kidney patients and their families. Every donation, big or small, will contribute to improving the lives of kidney patients in Ireland.
This is the IKA’s second year to use World Kidney Day as a focus for its primary grassroots fundraising campaign.
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) affects 1 in 10 people, and 1 in 7 individuals over the age of 50. Yet 98% of the population don’t know they have it.* (*source TILDA report). The Irish Kidney Association (IKA) and the HSE National Renal Office (NRO) are working together to increase awareness of CKD, its common risk factors, and how it is closely linked to Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease. Other groups at risk of developing CKD include people who: are obese, over the age of 50, have a family history of kidney disease, have experienced an Acute Kidney Injury, have certain autoimmune diseases, and those who have been using over the counter medication (NSAIDs) long term.
The campaign also aims to highlight how CKD can be detected by your GP through simple blood or urine tests. Early detection and management can slow down or prevent the progression of the disease to End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) where the only treatment is dialysis or a transplant. The NRO reported that at the end of 2024 there were 5,404 patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) which include 2,823 with a functioning kidney transplant and 2,581 who are undergoing dialysis treatment. At any one time in Ireland there are approximately 600 people on transplant waiting lists for heart, lung, liver kidney or pancreas and approximately 500 are waiting for kidney transplants (one fifth of all dialysis patients).
The IKA will be supporting hospitals in their kidney health awareness activities to mark World Kidney Day and will also be bringing its campaign to other community spaces throughout the week, with supporting information online including leaflets and posters.
The Irish Pharmacy Union and several pharmacies are supporting the campaign. The IKA will host a webinar on World Kidney Day, 13th March entitled ‘My Health – what can I do’ aimed at empowering ESKD patients, with presentations by a renal dietitian, physiotherapists and a patient who received a kidney and pancreas transplant. To register for the webinar visit https://ika.ie/worldkidneyday/#webinar.
On 8th March, 2025, volunteers from the IKA’s 25 branches nationwide will be in ALDI stores throughout Ireland selling merchandise and distributing organ donor cards. The campaign will feature collection buckets, tap and pay, the sale of the charity’s emblem, the forget-me-not flower, and other merchandise, to raise vital funds to enable the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) to support kidney disease patients and their families through a range of direct services, education materials and advocacy.
The Irish Kidney Association also invites the public to join the campaign virtually by donating, and leaving messages of support, on our online virtual Forget-me-not garden on www.ika.ie Contributions will help fund its free services including patient counselling and Peer Support services, a Living Well Programme, free patient holidays, free accommodation at its Kidney Support Centres in Dublin and Cork for patients attending hospital and family members, financial aid, advice, support and advocacy, research initiatives, organ donor awareness, and other patient support programmes.
How the public can help the IKA:
- Donate in-store at participating ALDI supermarkets or other locations throughout the week starting Saturday, 8th March.
- Support the campaign by purchasing merchandise or wearing an Irish Kidney Association Forget-me-Not flower emblem.
- Visit the IKA website www.ika.ie/worldkidneyday/ to learn more about kidney disease and the vital services the charity provides.
- Make an online donation through the Association’s website: MAKE A CONTRIBUTION - Irish Kidney Association
- Leave a message of support on its website based virtual garden and buy a virtual forget-me-not flower Irish Kidney Association Forget Me Not Garden | Visufund
- Follow the IKA social media platforms and help amplify the messaging by liking and sharing the content
- Share your wishes with your family about organ donation #HavetheConversation
RTÉ Fair City fans will be familiar with Joan’s kidney storyline and can watch out for the IKA’s campaign and forget-me-not flower emblems.
For more information on the 1 in 10 People kidney health campaign visit the Irish Kidney Association’s dedicated website page www.ika.ie/worldkidneyday
For more information contact:-
Gwen O’Donoghue, Media Relations, Irish Kidney Association Tel. 086 8241447 email. gwen@ika.
Colin White, National Advocacy & Projects Manager email. colin@ika.ie
