About US

SLK Foundation here for kidney patients and their families during this difficult and uncertain time. Now, more than ever, we need your support.

SLK Foundation in the UK is a non-profit & England and Wales registered (Ref 1180650) established conduit of hope, strength and resources for individuals and families facing crisis caused by chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Sri Lanka. We cordially work with Samastha Lanka Kidney Patients Association to support patients by providing dialysis units, erythropoietin injections, day today needs for comfort as well as conducting awareness programmes to renal disease in the affected areas of the country.

Over the years, chronic kidney disease (CKD) and chronic kidney disease of unknown (CKDu) have emerged as a major public health tragedy in Sri Lanka where diseases of the urinary system was the 8th leading cause of hospital deaths with a rate of 12.9 per 100,000 population ( 2017; Medical Statistics Unit, Sri Lanka).Chronic kidney disease is a chronic disease condition and by its progressive and disabling nature, has a significant impact on Health related quality of life (HRQoL ) of affected individuals. From the early stages of the disease to its end stage, disabling symptoms, various food and restrictions to social life, fluid restrictions and associated stigma and taboos, affect daily life of the patients. Furthermore, CKD affects the mental well-being which in turn affects the HRQoL of patients. A recent study among CKD patients in Sri Lanka revealed that 75.0% of patients were psychologically distressed while 65.2% were depressed.

The CKD/CKDu causes a great economic impact on the patients. Disability, work loss and out-of-pocket expenditure borne by households on these patients have adverse effects not only on the socioeconomic status but also on the psychological status of patients and their families.

Suffering of the patients

The prevalence of depression among CKD patients and their families is a significant burden in Sri Lanka. SLK foundation consider patient’s psychological support is an integral part of the care package, thus connect and facilitate the resources to enhance patient’s psychological well-being.

Most patients struggle to continue with their same lifestyle. They are advised on changing over to healthy lifestyles with no practical tips on how to adopt them within their life situations. Majority wanting a mean of living, but they are compelled to continue with the same job often with no skills or means to engage in another job. The common story is a gradual deterioration of productivity until being bedridden.

As we understand that the social network of patients is active during the initial stages of the diagnosis when people visit them with the good intention of providing them and the family with both emotional and material support. However, these social connections gradually diminish as the disease progresses and reappear when the illness becomes critical.

SLK foundation is committed to support patients financially and materially those in need in many ways:

Units for dialysis
The patient’s other treatment requirements such as regular medication.
Free clinics
The cost for a clinic visits

Suffering of the family

We understand that lives of the patient’s family are affected in several ways. The family is affected first, by low productivity of the sick member where patient is the main source of income to the family is critical; second, by allocating resources both human and material to manage ill-health; and third, by the emotional and social cost of illness on the family. Family members need to take on the patient’s workload, along with the load of caring for the patient. In some families, members had to give up their livelihood in order to provide necessary care for the patient.

SLK foundation is determined to support financially to the poorest in needy where patient is the main household income to the family in order to uplift their living.

Economic suffering

SLK foundation has taken several measures to overcome or minimize the suffering of the patients.

We have taken actions on symptom alleviating therapies to improve the psychological wellbeing of CKD/CKDu patients (E.g. Organising pilgrimages to sacred temples such as Dalada Maligawa and Jaya Sri Maha Bhodhi)
Measures to reduce household costs when accessing healthcare services
We pay attention on designing and implementing alternative employment or income generation methods to the diagnosed patients and on measures to lower the household cost related to CKD/CKD