WHO on the Chronic Kidney Disease of Sri Lanka: Observations of the Green Movement of Sri Lanka (GMSL Press Release)

A press conference was held on 25-06-2012 to reveal the results of a research conducted with the intervention of the World Health Organization (WHO) on the Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) prevailing in the North Central Province and other surrounding provinces of Sri Lanka. Following are the observations of the Green Movement of Sri Lanka on this;

·      Comprehensible revelation of the said 4-year research conducted since 2008 was not presented during the press conference. Although it was said that Sri Lanka leads in research on this subject than other countries, no important fact revealed from the research was stated.

·      It was revealed that high amounts of heavy metal are found in finger nails and urine samples of the patients, and also in soil samples where the disease prevails. However, it was repeatedly mentioned that there was no high concentration of heavy metals in water and food. The question arising is - how these heavy metals accumulate in nails and urine? Were these metabolized in the human body?

·      The source provided for the accumulation of heavy metals in soil was also stated – it was aid that those heavy metals contain in pesticides and fertiliser in certain amounts and those could be transported by air. It was further stated that this cannot be stated precisely as no research has been conducted so far. However, CKDu is commonly found in agricultural areas like Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dehiattakandiya and Giradurukotte. It is doubtful whether the research team believes that the air pollution in those areas is higher than that of Colombo or Kandy. It is also doubtful whether heavy metals are transported via air to make such pollution.  This seems as a fabrication to mask the damage caused by fertilised and pesticides.

·      CKDu is classified according to the Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) of the patients. Patients are classified into 4 or 5 groups accordingly. It was mentioned during the conference that patients of groups i and ii are at the initial states of the disease. Although they are in the groups i and ii, they are suffering from CKD this could be an effort to cover up the acute state of the disease. However, as revealed, about 15.9% of the people between 50-70 years suffer from the disease.

·      Dr. F.R. Metha, Sri Lanka Representative of the WHO said “that the disease is no more an unidentified kidney disease and there is a light on it – i.e it is caused by heavy metals”. Dr. Shanthi Mendis has said that more attention is paid on cadmium, arsenic and lead. However, there was no explanation to the confinement of the disease to North Central Province and other Dry Zone agricultural areas. Although Dr. Mendis rejected a connection between water and the CKD at the beginning of the conference, later she has said that further research will be conducted to find whether there is a connection between the hardness of drinking water and heavy metal accumulation of human body. Then how did she state that there is no connection with water and the disease before such a research is completed?

It seems that this press conference was an effort to undermine the already proven fact that heavy metals like arsenic and cadmium in fertlisers and pesticides cause CKDu. The result of such a cheap effort is a diversion of attention of CKDu and its real and identified cause and that could eventually cause more damage to the community, who are suffering from the disease. The need of the day is to accept the reality – i.e. heavy metals in pesticides and fertilisers can cause CKD – and take remedial action to counter the situation immediately. 

Further, we expect to explain the WHO, the effort of relevant authorities to undermine the reality of the problem.

Thanking you                                                      

Gayan Pradeep Wijetunga

Assistant Programme Manager

Natural Resources Conservation and Management Programme
28-06-2012