By Rathindra Kuruwita

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) yesterday urged President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to implement a 12-step programme to combat Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Aetiology (CKDu), which continues to take a heavy toll on the country.

In a letter to President Rajapaksa, GMOA President Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya and its Secretary Dr. Senal Fernando have said that although the disease is a major problem in many parts of the country Health authorities have paid little attention to conducting research to identify risk factors and causations of CKDu.

“This has affected agricultural communities, mainly in the North Central, Uva, Southern, Eastern, North Western and Northern Provinces. CKDu is a deadly disease with high mortality and morbidity rates among farmers, and this affects the future of the country’s agriculture as well,” Dr. Fernando told The Island.

Dr. Fernando said the GMOA had prepared and forwarded a comprehensive proposal on addressing CKDu in December, 2013. However, the Minister of Health had not taken adequate action on the matter.

“Hence, we have urged the President to direct the Ministry of Health to implement a number of activities. These include establishing a comprehensive programme on CKDu within the Ministry of Health, developing strategies to prevent and control CKDu based on the best available evidence, establishing a surveillance system for chronic non-communicable diseases, establishing a common research agenda to streamline scientific research conducted by government institutions, setting up a mechanism for collection of specimens, especially post mortem kidney specimens, which are essential to determine the aetiology and pathophysiology of CKDu, improving the resources available for laboratory diagnosis for evidence gathering on CKD, redefining safety regulations and guidelines for water, food and agrochemicals etc., in relation to dissolved materials along with provision of safe drinking water to affected high risk communities, establishing a CKDu advocacy initiative through the Health Education Bureau, implement a programme to look after the children who lost their parents due to CKDu, appointing clinicians with expertise in toxicology to support the CKDu public health programme and enhancing local level Curative Services with regard to CKDu.”