WHO: Future saviour of renal patients
By Rosanne Koelmeyer Anderson
[email protected]
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. |