CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), in partnership with Philippine Information Agency (PIA), held an advocacy forum on Renal Disease Control Program (Redcop) in Pulilan, Bulacan.
Attended by hundreds of residents from Baragay Sta. Peregrina and surrounding areas, it aims to educate and raise awareness on renal health care and disease prevention.
In her lecture, NKTI-Redcop Program Manager Dr. Teresita Susan Jorge discussed the characteristics of kidneys, as well as their important functions in the body.
“Aside from removing extra fluid, salt, electrolytes and drugs from the body, our kidneys are also responsible for regulating blood pressure, keeping bones healthy, and making red blood cells,” Jorge said.
She also said that having a healthy lifestyle and keeping a clean environment are crucial in the prevention of the disease.
“Sitting is now a disease. By simply walking or engaging in physical activities, we lessen the risk of having kidney diseases. By keeping our environment clean, we can reduce the risk of developing diseases, thus reducing medicines we take in which may not be good for our kidneys,” she said.
Nutritionist dieticians from NKTI also gave tips on healthy eating and maintaining healthy lifestyle to avoid non-communicable diseases which may lead to complications in the kidney.
Aside from the lectures, the participants also availed free blood sugar screening and urinalysis.