- India is on the verge of eliminating Kala-azar as a public health issue, with the country meeting the WHO’s criteria of fewer than one case per 10,000 people for two consecutive years.
- If this trend continues, India will be eligible for the WHO elimination certificate, following Bangladesh.
- Kala-azar, or visceral leishmaniasis, is a parasitic disease caused by the bite of infected female sandflies.
- It is the second deadliest parasitic disease in India after malaria.
- Symptoms include fever, weight loss, enlarged spleen/liver, and anaemia, and it is fatal in 95% of untreated cases.
- The National Health Policy set initial targets for elimination in 2010, revised multiple times, with the current goal by 2030.
- Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and parts of Uttar Pradesh are most affected, with Bihar alone accounting for 70% of cases.
Dig Deeper: Read about other prominent vector-borne diseases and the risks posed by their mutations.
