Call for better research to fight rare, chronic kidney diseases

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The inaugural function of a meet on CKDus, organised jointly by TANKER Foundation and Madras Medical Mission, on Saturday | Express

CHENNAI: More research is needed to define Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Origin (CKDu), an emerging public health problem, besides identifying various causes that can lead to it, experts have said.
Little information is available about the disease, currently prevalent in pockets of  Sri Lanka and Andhra Pradesh.
Usually, this disease leads to kidney failure. The symptoms are anaemia, lack of appetite, vomiting and less urine output, doctors say.

At a meeting organised jointly by TANKER foundation and Madras Medical Mission Hospital on Saturday, over 25 nephrologists and pathologists gathered to deliberate the issue.
According to Georgi Abraham, founder trustee of TANKER and consultant nephrologist in MMM, “CKDu mainly affects people belonging to lower social economic status. They have no risk factors such as diabetes or hypertension,” he said.

In India, districts of Srikakulam and Prakasam in Andhra Pradesh are significantly affected by the disease. Nearly 13 per cent of the population in Prakasam district have different stages of CKDu. Clusters have also been identified in Goa and Odisha, experts say.
Although no definite cause has been yet identified, it is suspected that ground water with high silica content could lead to the disease.
Latha Kumaraswami, managing trustee, TANKER,  called for the support of governments and private organisations in this regard.