Kidney Disease, Health, and Commodification of Drinking Water: An Anthropological Inquiry into the Introduction of Reverse Osmosis Water in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka

Abstract

In response to evidence suggesting that polluted drinking water is a risk factor for Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka, the government introduced reverse osmosis (RO) water as an alternative form of drinking water in the North Central Province (NCP) between 2010 and 2016. We examine whether CKDu prevalence and disease progression have been reduced as a result of the introduction of RO water and behavioral changes and how villagers perceive the changes.