Speaker Biography

Dr Thilanga Ruwanpathirana

Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka

Title: The burden of chronic kidney disease of uncertain aetiology in Anuradhapura district

Dr Thilanga Ruwanpathirana
Biography:

Dr Thilanga Ruwanpathirana was public health clinician attached to the Ministry of Health Sri Lanka before joining the Centre of Cardiovascular Research & Education (CCRE) in Therapeutics/The Clinical Informatics and Data Management Unit (CIDMU). He is supervised by Professor Chris Reid and Dr Alice Owen.
Dr Ruwanpathirana’s thesis looked at low birth weight (LBW) and its risk factors. He developed the first Sri Lankan weight for gestational age curves to identify Small for Gestational Age (SGA) babies. According to his doctoral research, the Low Birth Weight (LBW) rate is 14.7%, pre-term birth rate is 5.4% and SGA rate is 18.6% in rural areas.
Dr Ruwanpathirana is currently undertaking a project to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of strategies for addressing the problem of vitamin D deficiency in an Australian setting. His aim is to improve the understanding of epidemiological modelling techniques which he can utilize in other settings in the future.

Abstract:

Chronic kidney disease of unknown aetiology (CKDu) is known as a problem among paddy farmers of the North Central province. Ministry of Health published a three-tiered epidemiological case definition in 2016 as suspected, probable and confirmed CKDu. Suspected CKDu provides a uniform method to estimate the burden in epidemiological studies and is defined as the presence of essential criteria of eGFR < 60mL/min AND/OR albuminuria >=30mg/g. Among those satisfying essential criteria, those with urine protein:creatinine ratio >2g/g creatinine OR urine albumin:creatinine ratio >0.3g/g creatinine; hypertensive on >2 drugs OR untreated blood pressure >160/100mmHg; history of diabetes OR being on treatment OR capillary random plasma glucose >200mg/dL were excluded.