- Landmarks across the UK were lit red on January 26 for Kawasaki Disease Awareness Day
- The campaign was coordinated by children’s charity Societi with support from affected families
- Around 1,500 children are admitted to hospital with Kawasaki Disease in the UK each year
A wave of red-lit buildings swept across the UK on Monday (26) as communities joined a nationwide campaign to highlight Kawasaki Disease, a serious childhood illness that remains widely under-recognised despite rising hospital admissions.
More than 150 landmarks, bridges and public buildings took part in the initiative marking International Kawasaki Disease Awareness Day. The campaign was coordinated by children’s charity Societi, the UK Foundation for Kawasaki Disease, with families affected by the condition working locally to ensure landmarks in their communities were illuminated.
Kawasaki Disease is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children in the UK. Around 25 per cent of children diagnosed with the illness go on to develop serious, lifelong heart damage, even with treatment. Research cited by the charity suggests around 1,500 children in the UK are admitted to hospital with Kawasaki Disease each year.
Professor Robert Tulloh, paediatric cardiologist and chairman of Societi, said early diagnosis and rapid treatment significantly reduce the risk of long-term heart damage. "Improving awareness of the signs and symptoms among parents and healthcare professionals is critical to ensuring children receive treatment in time," he said.
Societi was established in 2015 to raise awareness of Kawasaki Disease, support affected families and improve early diagnosis. The charity campaigns throughout the year to address low recognition of the illness, which it says remains a key factor behind avoidable heart damage in children.
Rachael McCormack, who founded Societi and works with Nik Kotecha, said the scale of participation reflected the urgency felt by families affected by the disease. She said Kawasaki Disease is becoming increasingly common but is often initially misdiagnosed, placing children’s hearts at risk.
Families involved in the January 26 campaign said the red lighting was intended to prompt conversations and encourage parents to seek medical advice if a child experiences a persistent fever and other symptoms linked to Kawasaki Disease.
