De Silva A. 2020

The effects on patients with chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology in Sri Lanka of the use of purified and reverse osmosis water for drinking

Many researchers have suggested that environmental toxins in drinking water have played a crucial role in Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka.

In response to this, the government has introduced reverse osmosis (RO) water as an alternative form of drinking water in areas where CKDu is endemic. In parallel, the local health department introduced a health behavioral program aimed at CKDu patients and their families.

Looking at these developments, and analyzing data on RO plants, statistics relating to CKDu, and the health records of CKDu patients, this article examines a) whether the prevalence of CKDu and the progression of the disease in patients have been reduced as a result and b) how the affected people in the villages perceive the changes brought about by the new source of drinking water.

This research was done in the frame of the Hydration for Kidney Health Initiative, an initiative between Hydration for Health and The International Society of Nephrology.

This publication was published in the media in Sri Lanka: