💧 KidneyCare: AI-Powered CKD Awareness & Early Detection

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) represents a global public health crisis characterized by the relentless, irreversible loss of kidney function, defined by glomerular filtration rate (GFR) less than 60 mL/min/1.73m² or markers of kidney damage (like albuminuria) for over three months. While globally, CKD is predominantly driven by established non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes mellitus and hypertension, Sri Lanka faces a dual physiological burden. The first is the expected rise in traditional CKD drivers; the second, and far more enigmatic, is the epidemic of Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown etiology (CKDu), concentrated in the North Central Province (NCP) and surrounding dry zones. This essay will critically dissect the fundamental physiological pathways driving general CKD progression, before undertaking a focused analysis of the distinct, tubulointerstitial pathophysiology implicated in CKDu, examining how complex environmental and toxicological factors disrupt normal renal homeostatic mechanisms.