Mapping Chronic Kidney Disease of uncertain etiology

Chronic Kidney Disease of uncertain etiology (CKDu) is a growing health crisis with contested etiologies, which are considered to be tied to environmental, agricultural, and socio-economic factors. Even though it has been three decades since the disease emerged in epidemic proportions, there remains a certain sense of “mysteriousness” not only about the disease but also about its prevalence. Media portrayals of CKDu has been helpful in terms of underscoring the gravity of the problem. Considering the importance of recording various stories circulated by newspapers around the world about CKDu, this project aims to create a dynamic, interactive map that traces media representation of CKDu globally. This project is motivated by the lack of a platform which shows the gravity of the widespread prevalence of CKDu as a global health epidemic which disproportionately affects agricultural laborers, rural and often economically disadvantaged communities and various initiatives that are emerging to address issues/ raise a voice against the lack of urgency to address this. This map will highlight newspaper articles reporting various issues related to CKDu.

Anthropologists and scholars in related fields have emphasized the significance of exploring CKDu through its socio-political dimensions, underscoring how socioeconomic and historical factors influence its understanding. Thus, in parallel to the newspaper reports this map will document social sciences and humanities research studies, and reports that address illness experience in various regions, particularly in areas heavily affected like Sri Lanka, Central America, and parts of South Asia. The project holds intellectual significance by offering a new way to visualize the global spread and public discourse on CKDu. This project is meaningful because it helps preserve cultural memory in the face of an ongoing health crisis, offering an archive that could serve future advocacy efforts and public health planning. The significance lies in its ability to centralize global narratives of a disease that is still shrouded in uncertainty, providing a resource for policymakers, researchers, and affected communities alike.