Distribution of Red Cross clay water filters to the public to combat kidney disease

05/07/2016 – Colombo, Sri Lanka: The technologically improved clay water filter produced jointly by efforts of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society and the Industrial Technology Institute for the use of persons exposed to chronic kidney disease conditions were handed over to selected beneficiaries by President Maithripala Sirisena at a ceremony organized by the Presidential Task Force on Kidney Disease Prevention held in Girandurukotte recently.

This area is one of the worst Kidney affected areas in Sri Lanka.

This filter was designed in year 2007 by the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society with technical advice and financial support from American Red Cross. AmCross has designed this earlier in Cambodia to filter out arsenic and cyanide (as ammunition waste). Last year the ITI (Sri Lanka Government Agency for Scientific Research and certification) improved this filter to filter out even absorbed pesticides etc in water, which is thought to be the cause of Kidney failure in Sri Lanka. This filter is now manufactured by Red Cross under certification and supervision of the ITI.

President Sirisena pointed out that the kidney diseases have been spread out not only in Raja Rata, but also in most of the areas in the country. He emphasized that he will take every action without any hesitation to give quick solutions for this problem.

The President declared that a sub-committee on prevention of kidney diseases would be appointed. The measures will be initiated based on the recommendations of the committee consists of medical specialist, he said.