Pakistan will celebrate World Kidney Day 2012 on Thursday with the theme, Donate - Kidneys for Life - Receive, amidst its efforts to promote the culture of cadaver organ donation on sound grounds.

Human organ and tissue transplantation law, which has kindled hope for thousands of people suffering from one or the other organ failure, has to be supplemented by deceased donor program in the country.

According to available statistics 16,000 people die each year due to kidney failure, followed by another 10,000 of liver failure and 6,000 of heart failure every year.

Transplant surgeons are confident that a strong deceased donor programme and proper implementation of the law related to transplantation of human organs and tissues in the country will be of great help for the people in need.
"This is extremely important as an estimated number of 50,000 people die annually in need of human organ," said Dr Sajjad.

There has been instances when family members of the deceased managed to approach Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation for timely retrieval of organ (kidney) easing its timely transplantation and giving a new lease of life to another human being.The rampant double standard among people who may not be reluctant to accept cadaver organ for their dear ones in need yet averse to approve donation of their deceased next to kin for any one else in need can not continue for long.
People as well as leaders ought to accept that 'deceased organ donation' has gained acceptability on religious grounds too, even in countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Dr Adibul Hasan Rizvi suggested need to promote awareness about benefits of deceased donors for organ failures besides kidneys, "which is one of major importance and we have many challenges to face." In a global scenario where people of all age groups are equally vulnerable to chronic kidney disease, be it due to obesity, over eating, hypertension, diabetes, stone in renal tract or at times malnutrition - there is need to create awareness.
Available statistics reveal that 500 million individuals, which make 10 percent of the adult population, are inflicted with one or the other form of kidney damage.

The main causes of chronic kidney disease in order of priority are uncontrolled diabetes, uncontrolled high blood pressure infections and stones of kidney and urinary tract.

People with chronic kidney disease are 10 times more likely than healthy individuals to die of heart attacks and brain strokes.

The health of their kidneys might also progressively worsen to the point where kidneys must be replaced, said Dr Majid Rana of Civil Hospital.

This end-stage renal disease leaves the sufferer with no option but to have haemodialysis through machine thrice a week or peritoneal dialysis or have kidney transplantation.