The prevention of the Chronic Kidney Disease (CKDu) in Sri Lanka has become a challenge as two reports by the World Health Organisation and reports by universities and research institutions have not concluded the cause of the disease, President Maithripala Sirisena said yesterday.
The President said the government, despite the challenge, goes forward taking measures to eradicate the kidney disease which has affected the farmer community, the life blood of Sri Lankan.
President Sirisena made these observations yesterday at a felicitation for him by the International Society of Nephrologists (ISN) for his contributions for the prevention of Chronic Kidney Diseases, during the inauguration of the ISN-Gardiner CKDu Fund at the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo.
The President said the Chronic Kidney Disease of uncertain etiology was first recorded in 1990. He said the number of the affected is increasing by 5,000 a year which has become a challenge to be handled by the health sector in the country that is rendering a commendable service.
He said the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the request of the government submitted two reports while local institutions too submitted reports on the issue, yet none of them pointed out the cause of the kidney disease in the country. He said the prevention of the disease has become a challenge due to this. President Sirisena said the disease has affected the families of the farmer community. “We go from door to door of the affected families and take all steps to solve their issues,” the President said. “We could be happy on the day when the disease is controlled as the eradication is a challenge on practical grounds,” he said.
He said most people would intervene with unnecessary aspects of the others’ lives, but not with needy matters such as these.
The families of kidney patients are enduring untold difficulties, he said.
The President said he declared at the Presidential Election that he would not spend money on propaganda and requested support to deposit money into an account for the construction of a Kidney Hospital.
“All should get together for the prevention of the kidney diseases,” President Sirisean said.
Ambassador for the Prevention of Chronic Kidney Diseases (CKDu) Sanheev Gardiner, ISN Secretary General Prof. Adeera Levin, and Sri Lanka Association of Nephrology and Transplantation (SLANT) President Consultant Nephrologist Dr. Chula Herath also spoke.