Visceral leishmaniasis
Some 60% of the cases of visceral leishmaniasis, also known as Kala azar, occur in the Indian subcontinent (in Bangladesh, India and Nepal), mainly among the poorest people in rural areas. The recent development of new drugs and diagnostics has created a major opportunity for improved case management, control and even elimination of the disease from the Indian subcontinent. But to do this, research is needed to further improve intervention tools and implementation strategies.
TDR has collaborations and funding with lead investigators in India, Nepal and Bangladesh and other partner institutions including WHO’s Department of Neglected Tropical Diseases, Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), One World Health (OWH) and Grand Challenge Canada, to collectively develop novel approaches to controlling the sandflies (vectors) that transmit the disease, and an effective strategy for point of care diagnosis and treatment close to endemic villages.
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