Chronic Kidney Disease
Due to the use of chemical pesticides and the incorporation of heavy metals in the water table present in the North Central province and adjoining provinces ,also due to the consumption of this water by local residents , Chronic kidney disease or CKD is an epidemic that is fast spreading. Within the last 8 to 10 years this epidemic has been one of the most serious health concerns in sri lanka. Since the root cause for this illness was not found until recently it was known as the Unidentified kidney disease. The difference with this kidney disease and other kidney diseases is that the patient does not show any symptoms for a long period of time, and are hidden from view . Eventually ending in death . specifically young individuals and individuals who are in the agriculture industry , who are between the ages of 40 and 60 are the most susceptible. The disease was first reported in 1992 and since that there have been reports of thousands of cases
Chronic kidney disease does not shut down the kidney instantly, but it shuts down the kidney gradually over a period of years. It has been found that the shutting down of the kidney occurs in 5 stages. The final or 5th stage being the full shut down of the kidney, and is known as the last stage of kidney disease.When an individual reaches this stage the kidney is at the final stages of shut down or is non functional. At this stage a patient has to go through the blood cleaning process of Dialysis or implanting of a new donor kidney . Due to the fact that the symptoms of this illness remain hidden in the initial stages, patients are unaware of the seriousness of their condition until the 5th and final stage
The spread of Kidney disease in the North Central province.
Situated north of the Anuradahpura district is Vavuniya , Mulitivu and Mannar districts, situated south of Anuradahpura is the Kurunagala and Matale districts, Puttalam situated in the west along with Pollonaruwa and Trincomalee districts situated in the east of Anuradahpura. Anuradapura district is the largest district in the country with its land area covering 10% of the country ( 7,179 square km). There are roughly 860,000 residents in Anuradahpura . It also consists of 649 villages , whilst a majority of its residents belong to the agriculture industry. Up to now the highest reported kidney illnesses have been reported from the Anuradahpura district . Roughly there are 1350 new cases reported each year. This relates to 20% of residents in Anuradahpura suffering from Kidney diseases . According to studies done by Dr Ranasinghe ,2823 patients from Maddavachchi alone , 2464 patients from Padaviya , 933 patients from kabatigillawa have been identified. To emphasize the seriousness of this situation , there are around 2000 individuals who die on a yearly basis in Anuradhapura. These statistics are only from individuals who pass away in hospitals
Apart from the Anuradahpura district , Polonnaruwa , Giranthurukotte , and Ampara districts have reported a high rate of patients suffering from kidney ailments. According to surveys conducted it is reported that 25% of the population in the Polonnaruwa districts suffer from Kidney related illnesses. When looking at this statistic it is clear that the percentage of affected individuals are very high. According to the government doctors association , There are 150,000 patients in the North Central province. Around 20,000 people pass away from kidney diseases, and there are large numbers of patients suffering from Kidney related illnesses in hospitals in the North Central province.
Based on the current situation, this illness is on track to consume more lives than the 30 year civil war in Sri lanka. A majority of individuals who suffer from this illness are males between the ages of 30 -50 , who work in the agriculture sector. Since these group of people include fathers, husbands and brothers who are the primary breadwinners in the family, their families have faced harsh economic hardship. Mr N.H.M Gamini Himiduma who is the principle of Poojagaspanguwa Mahawidyalaya in Shripura, states that around 50 of his students have lost both mother and father to this illness. One can clearly see the amount of social hardship caused by this deadly illness . It is also reported that this disease is spreading to adjoining areas
What is the cause of this outbreak ?
The health ministry and the World health organisation have teamed up to find the reason for this deadly illness. Also Universities in Sri lanka and Universities around the world have conducted independent studies to determine the exact cause . A majority consensus of this study is that the consumption of water that includes toxic elements has directly lead to Kidney diseases. Also tests done by the University of Kalaniya scientific research division , have found that due to the presence of Cadmium, Arsenic , Mercury , and heavy metals in the water being consumed by the residents in this area , have directly contributed to this illness. This has also been confirmed by other tests done by researchers. Since agriculture is prevalent in the North Central province , tests have shown that not only surface water, but also water below the surface area have been contaminated.
Tests conducted by Prefesore Dr Channa Jayasumana of the Univercity of Rajarata, Professor Sarath Gunathilaka and professor Priyantha Senanayaka of the university of California , have shown that Glyphosate which is a chemical present in pesticides mixed with heavy metals creates a substance that also directly impacts the kidneys .
Studies have also shown that individuals who consume water from clean natural springs in this area do not show any symptoms of kidney disease. Therefore based on all evidence present , it is clear that contaminated water is the clear the reason for Kidney related illnesses.