Drinking water and chronic kidney disease of unknown aetiology in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

ABSTRACT

This paper examines how people in Anuradhapura District in Sri Lanka affected by endemic chronic kidney disease of unknown aetiology (CKDu) explain the factors causing the illness and their cultural meanings. The research found that the issue of contaminated water raised by the local community and the cultural meaning of water have influenced the government policy, health programmes, research agendas and the work of the media. Media reports on sociocultural, biomedical and epidemiological research into the aetiology of kidney disease have strengthened the perspective of the villagers who believe that polluted water has a direct relationship to kidney disease. This new understanding among villagers in Anuradhapura District has led to changes in their behaviours relating to the use and consumption of water, an important factor that has reinforced existing social hierarchies.

KEYWORDS:

• Chronic kidney disease of unknown aetiology
• medical anthropology
• Sri Lanka
• community perspective
• behaviour change

Ethical approval

Ethical approval was given by the ethical review committee, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sri Lanka on January 10th 2013. Protocol Number: 2013/EC/01.

Acknowledgments

I thank Gayan Samarasinghe, Theja Kumari Wijebandara, D.P. Shirani and Nirosha Lakmali for collecting field data. The insightful comments and suggestions made by the anonymous reviewers are acknowledged with appreciation. A special note of thanks goes to Dr. Prasannajit de Silva and professor Steven Albert for reading the final version of the article and making many suggestions to improve its quality.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.