WHO: Future saviour of renal patients

By Rosanne Koelmeyer Anderson

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A team of around one hundred local medical experts and four representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) have commenced research on the significant increase of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in the North Central Province which is causing an immense social and economic burden on the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry.

The disease has been rampant in the Anuradhapura, Medawachchiya, Dehiattakandiya and Padaviya areas during the past two years and the exact cause is yet unknown, Dr. Athula Kahandaliyanage, Secretary, Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition revealed at a press briefing on Thursday.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) has cost health authorities as much as Rs. 350m annually; a sizeable burden with no specific cause being attributed to the rampant spread of the disease in this region in particular, which has baffled authorities and spurred them to seek the WHO’s assistance to find a speedy solution .

The experts are confident that their research findings would help uncover an unambiguous answer to the existing problem within the next 18 months.

Many important studies done at the Peradeniya and Jayawardenapura Universities and the Health Ministry suggest a number of possible causes which might have triggered off the increase of deaths due to Chronic Kidney Failure (CKD) in the North Central Province.

The Health Ministry is intensely working on raising awareness of the disease among the public with the assurance that there would soon be a national solution.

Country Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) Augustine Bora speaking at the briefing stated that there are several patients suffering with kidney failure and many are already of kidney dialysis and this has been a global health issue.

Many studies have been done up to now but what is required is the team effort of expertise which would help formulate a feasible research proposal on the prevention of Chronic Kidney Disease.

Prof. Neil Reginald Poulter, Professor of Preventive Cadio vascular Medicine, International Centre of Circulatory Health, UK, Dr. Sandeep Mahajan, Associate Professor, Department of Nephrology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Dr. Saiyed Habibullah, Regional Advisor, Occupational Health, WHO South East Asia Region were also present.