Don’t exaggerate Lanka’s kidney disease, its discoverer pleads

8/12/2019 Don’t exaggerate Lanka’s kidney disease, its discoverer pleads

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,ccordin# to N,))* 6resident Dr de ,lwis! this is the typical process o(science+ H&e need not be unduly alarmed about the number o( di((erentcauses to which C.Du is attributed by scientistsI)cience works throu#h aseries o( interactions! as well as the clash o( ideas+ Dr issa Jitarana! )enior <inister o( )cienti(ic ,((airs who opened thesymposium! asked all researchers to keep an open mind in such scienti(icin/esti#ations! ensure ri#our o( testin# and analyis! and discuss their(indin#s widely+“here has been a spate o( media abuse on C.Du+ "9m #lad to note that themedia hype has died down so that a more sensible e/aluation becomespossible! he said+Dr Jitarana! who is a /irolo#ist by trainin#! added= HCadmium! the mainhea/y metal suspected o( bein# responsible (or C.Du! enters ouren/ironment mainly throu#h chemical (ertilisers+ here is no ar#ument thatwe need to reduce use o( such (ertilisers+ ut as a scientist! " need to be

con/inced that Cadmium is the main cause+ i#ht now! there is no suchconclusi/e e/idence! so we need to keep an open mind+

)e*edies + prevention&hile the debate on e'act causes o( C.Du continues in scienti(ic circles! thepublic health toll keeps risin#+

“C.Du is a maor public health issue placin# a hea/y burden onGo/ernment health e'penditure and is a cause o( catastrophic e'penditure(or indi/iduals and (amilies leadin# to po/erty and sti#ma in thecommunity! &B9s Dr <endis said+,nd as <inister Jitarana noted! in a((ected areas o( the Dry :one! (armers9

morale is breakin# down+ Hhis can raise @uestions on the (uture o( (armin#in )ri *anka+ ased on the National C.Du research proect! &B has recommended anumber o( short and lon# term actions (or ministries and other statea#encies concerned with health! water supply! (ood and a#riculture sectors+,n ur#ent priority is to supply clean drinkin# water to all people li/in# inthe endemic districts+ <ost people currently rely on #roundwater! tappedthrou#h tube wells! hand pumps! or du# wells+ he #o/ernment9s 2017bud#et proposals ha/e recently allocated s 00 million to set up e/erseBsmosis small treatment plants that can puri(y #round water at local le/el+<eanwhile! actin# on other recommendations! the <inistry o( ealth hasintensi(ied public education and C.Du sur/eillance+ ,t the same time!more treatment (acilities includin# kidney dialysis units are bein# setup+<any (amilies o( patients li/in# with C.Du (ace economic hardship as theirbreadwinner can no lon#er work+ hey need both li/elihood and counsellin#support+



Bn the pre/enti/e (ront! the ealth <inistry now ad/ises a#ainst consumin#lotus roots in endemic areas! and asks people to be care(ul with all herbalmedicines containin# )apsanda+ Bne study recommendation is (orre#ulatin# the use o( nephroto'ic herbal medicines+he national research study has also recommended action (or stricterre#ulation o( a#rochemicals+ "t speci(ically calls (or re#ulatin# theindiscriminate use o( synthetic (ertilisers! in particular phosphate (ertiliserscontainin# traces o( Cadmium! ,rsenic and *ead+ Farmer reliance on thesecan be reduced by #reater use o( locally made rock phosphate+ )imilarly!better re#ulation o( pesticide distribution and use is also needed+Goin# a step (urther! the study has ad/ocated stren#thenin# tobaccore#ulation to protect people (rom e'posure to Cadmium throu#h passi/esmokin#+ his should add to the already stron# case a#ainst tobacco+he humanitarian crisis o( C.Du has reached such le/els! notes &B! thatur#ent remedial actions are needed e/en as researchers continue their

in/esti#ations+“ranslatin# a/ailable research (indin#s into action should not be delayed+"mplementin# multisectoral measures to people9s 4especially children9s5e'posure to nephroto'ins is a top priority! said Dr <endis+ HFollow-upresearch should not be a barrier (or implementin# &B recommendations+ ext -ox:

.t was a national study, clarifies /ealt0 inistryhe national research proect on C.Du was co-(unded by the &orld ealthBr#ani%ation 4&B5 and )ri *anka National )cience Foundation 4N)F5+Comprisin# 11 studies! it is most comprehensi/e in/esti#ation on the topic

so (ar! and in/ol/ed do%ens o( local researchers and senior public healtho((icials+esearch teams measured arsenic! cadmium! lead! selenium! pesticidesand other elements! o(ten linked with kidney (ailure! in biolo#ical samples(rom C.Du patients (rom three endemic areas 4,nuradhapura! 6olonnaruwaand adulla5+ hey compared the data with control #roups (rom theendemic areas and a non-endemic area! i+e+ ambantota+ hey alsoanalysed (ood! water! soil and a#rochemicals (rom all the areas (or thepresence o( hea/y metals such as Cadmium! ,rsenic and *ead+he research (indin#s were (ormally released in mid 2013+ hey were alsopublished as a scienti(ic paper in the international medical ournal <CNephrolo#y in ,u#ust 2013+ he (ull paper can be accessed (ree onlineat=http=KKwww+biomedcentral+comK17?1-23K17K180

“his is a national study carried out by our own e'perts! with &orld ealthBr#ani%ation 4&B5 pro/idin# technical ad/ice and part o( the (undin#!said Dr 6+G+ <ahipala! Director General o( ealth )er/ices at the <inistry o(ealth+e clari(ied= H"t is not correct to re(er to this study as a &B study+

http://www.nsf.ac.lk/

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2369/14/180

http://www.nsf.ac.lk/

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2369/14/180





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Don’t exaggerate Lanka’s kidney disease, its discoverer pleads