Sri Lanka receives ADB assistance to fight CKD

COLOMBO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's provincial government has received a sum of an estimated 55 million U.S. dollars from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), to fight Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), by improving the quality of drinking water in six provinces, local media reports said here Thursday.

The provincial councils ministry said it will improve drinking water quality in the Western, Wayamba, Southern, Uva, Central and the North Central provinces, which are the areas worst affected by CKD.

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena last year said that illnesses related to the Chronic Kidney Disease had become a national disaster in Sri Lanka.

According to official figures here, there are 20,828 patients and 5,000 deaths per year.