MAM
Mankind Pharma highlights rising kidney disease risk on World Kidney Day
Nearly 138 million Indians live with CKD as experts urge early screening.
MUMBAI: Your kidneys rarely make noise when something is wrong. That silence, doctors say, is precisely the problem. Marking World Kidney Day, Mankind Pharma has joined healthcare experts to raise awareness about the growing burden of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), a condition that often progresses unnoticed until it reaches advanced stages. Globally, CKD affects nearly 10 percent of the population. In India, the scale is even more alarming. Health studies estimate that about 138 million people in the country are living with some form of chronic kidney disease, placing India among the nations with the highest disease burden worldwide.
The difficulty lies in detection. Kidneys quietly perform essential tasks such as filtering waste, balancing body fluids, regulating blood pressure and supporting several metabolic functions. Yet experts warn that an individual can lose up to 90 percent of kidney function without obvious symptoms, making routine screening crucial.
As part of its awareness initiative, Mankind Pharma is encouraging people to monitor key health indicators including blood pressure, blood sugar and kidney function through basic diagnostic tests. The campaign also features educational outreach and discussions with medical experts to highlight the importance of early detection.
The healthcare challenge extends beyond diagnosis to treatment. India requires nearly 200,000 kidney transplants every year, but only around 13,500 procedures are performed annually, meeting less than 6 percent of the total demand. The shortage of organ donors remains a major hurdle, with the country’s organ donation rate still below one donor per million population, far lower than many developed nations.
Doctors also point to lifestyle and health trends driving the surge in kidney disease. Rising rates of diabetes and hypertension remain among the leading causes, alongside factors such as high salt consumption, unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles.
Max Super Speciality Hospital chairman of Urology, Renal transplant and robotics Anant Kumar stressed that routine health checks can significantly reduce long term risks.
“Chronic kidney disease often progresses silently and remains undetected until it reaches advanced stages. Individuals with diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity or a family history of kidney disease should undergo regular screening through tests such as blood creatinine, urine analysis and blood pressure monitoring. Early diagnosis plays a crucial role in slowing disease progression and improving outcomes,” he said.
Mankind Pharma chief operating officer Arjun Juneja added that awareness and prevention remain key to tackling the growing health challenge.
“World Kidney Day is an important reminder that prevention and early detection are critical in addressing kidney disease. By promoting regular screenings, healthier lifestyle choices and greater awareness, we hope to encourage individuals to take proactive steps to protect their long term health,” he said.
Medical experts recommend several simple steps to protect kidney health. These include staying physically active, maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, monitoring blood pressure regularly, following a balanced diet with controlled salt intake, staying hydrated and avoiding unnecessary use of painkillers. Routine kidney function tests are especially important for people considered at higher risk.
As the global and national burden of CKD continues to rise, health professionals say awareness campaigns like World Kidney Day serve as an important opportunity to remind people that kidney health often depends on catching problems before the body shows any warning signs.
Brands
Domino’s Q1 profit falls 6.6 per cent, announces $1 billion buyback
Sales rise 3.4 per cent as pizza giant balances growth and shareholder returns
NEW YORK: Domino’s reported a mixed start to 2026, with first-quarter net income slipping even as global sales and store expansion held steady. The company also announced a fresh $1 billion share buyback, underlining its continued focus on shareholder returns.
Global retail sales rose 3.4 per cent on a constant-currency basis to $4.74 billion. The US remained a key growth engine, with same-store sales inching up 0.9 per cent, supported by a 1.5 per cent rise at company-owned outlets.
International markets, however, painted a more uneven picture. While Domino’s added 161 net new stores overseas during the quarter, international same-store sales declined 0.4 per cent. Overall revenues still climbed 3.5 per cent to $1.15 billion, driven by higher supply chain revenues and a 2.6 per cent increase in food basket pricing for franchisees.
On the profitability front, net income fell 6.6 per cent to $139.8 million, compared to $149.7 million a year earlier. Diluted earnings per share dropped to $4.13 from $4.33. The decline was largely attributed to a $30 million unfavourable swing in unrealised gains linked to its investment in DPC Dash Ltd.
Despite this, operational performance showed resilience. Income from operations rose 9.6 per cent to $230.4 million, supported in part by a $7.8 million pre-tax gain from the sale of a corporate aircraft.
Domino’s footprint continued to expand, with the company ending the quarter at 22,322 stores across more than 90 markets. In the US, digital orders remained dominant, accounting for over 85 per cent of retail sales in 2025.
The company also maintained its dividend payout, declaring $1.99 per share, payable on 30 June 2026. After repurchasing $75.1 million worth of stock during the quarter, the new authorisation lifts the total available for buybacks to $1.29 billion.
Domino’s chief executive officer Russell Weiner said the company’s scale and store-level economics position it well to capture further market share in 2026, even as competition intensifies.
As Domino’s leans into expansion and capital returns, the latest results show a business managing short-term pressures while keeping its long-term growth strategy firmly in play.
