Sri Lankan health authorities estimate that nearly 10 percent of kidney patients across the country are unaware that they are living with the disease, underscoring the need for greater awareness and early screening.
Dr. Arjuna Marasinghe, a specialist at the National Institute for Nephrology, Dialysis & Transplantation, warned that individuals who do not properly manage conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes face a significantly increased risk of developing kidney disease.
He noted that many patients remain undiagnosed until the illness has reached an advanced stage, making treatment more complex and costly.
Dr. Marasinghe advised people with high cholesterol or elevated blood sugar levels to undergo regular kidney function tests, stressing that early detection is essential to preventing severe complications and improving long-term health outcomes.
