Kidney disease affects millions of adults and children worldwide. The 11th World Kidney Day was celebrated on 10 March 2016, and was dedicated to childhood kidney diseases. Many children may be at risk of developing kidney disease at an early age, and this year, World Kidney Day aimed to increase awareness around the fact that many adults have had kidney disease since early childhood. The spectrum of kidney disease in children ranges from treatable disorders without long-term sequelae to life-threatening conditions. Children with acute kidney injury (AKI) may develop long-term consequences leading to chronic kidney disease (CKD) later in life. Worldwide, epidemiological information on the incidence and prevalence of paediatric AKI and CKD is limited, often imprecise, and flawed by methodological differences between the various data sources, although increasing in scope. This is particularly pertinent in Africa, where the focus is on communicable diseases with lack of proper documentation and renal registries. As a result there are insufficient data to guide the authorities responsible for resource allocation. This increases the challenges of providing care for children with kidney disease in a resource-limited environment. The rising incidence of kidney diseases in children highlights the need for early detection and healthy lifestyle, starting at birth and continuing into adult life. The main aim of World Kidney Day 2016 was to inform parents, caregivers, young patients, the general public, and policymakers of the importance of the early detection and appropriate management of childhood kidney disease.