Boehringer Ingelheim, in collaboration with Dialysis Philippines Support Group, Kidney Transplant Association of the Philippines, and Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations, is promoting the importance of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the Philippines. The public educational event, It Starts With U: Get CheCKD, will take place on June 29, 2024, at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City, aiming to raise awareness about CKD and offer participants the chance to undergo a health consultation and screening for the disease.
CKD is one of the leading causes of death in the Philippines. According to the National Kidney Transplant Institute, one Filipino develops chronic renal failure every hour. That is estimated to be at least 2.3 million Filipinos currently diagnosed with CKD. Other recent projections show that one in 10 Filipinos will develop this deadly disease.
“The problem with CKD is that it has no symptoms until the kidney has deteriorated. One might think healthy living is enough to keep the kidneys healthy, but it takes more than that. First, we must define ‘healthy living’ and examine the factors contributing to kidney deterioration. Learning these things is the goal of the Get CheCKD event in June,” shares Boehringer Ingelheim Philippines Head of Medicine, Dr. Greta Cortez.
It Starts with U: Get CheCKD aims to raise awareness of CKD by engaging the public through a lineup of educational and engaging activities through ‘edutainment.’ These activities highlight the importance of getting checked for CKD and adopting healthy habits that help prevent the disease.
An active lifestyle is critical to keeping your kidneys healthy. At the FUN zone, guests can participate in a live Zumba session to kickstart or strengthen their healthy lifestyle.
Regular lifestyle and health checks can also help prevent CKD. The FIND zone has health and lifestyle stations where attendees can check their vitals like their blood pressure, height, weight, heart rate, temperature, body mass index, and go through a CKD-risk assessment and screening for eligible participants with doctors on-site.
Diet plays a crucial role in overall kidney health. The FEAST zone has healthy food stations for guests to enjoy kidney-friendly snacks.
It Starts With U: Get CheCKD, which will also feature a game called Check Your Choices. It’s a life-sized, kidney-shaped maze that will lead down different paths depending on the player’s health and lifestyle choices. It’s a fun way of teaching the public how to become more mindful of their lifestyle habits to lead a healthier life.
Make caring for our kidneys more fun and exciting. Mark your calendars and get CheCKD this June!
