WHO has designated the Reference Laboratory for Leishmaniasis, National Centre for Microbiology at the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) in Spain as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Leishmaniasis. The Centre will support WHO’s strategic goals in the control and research of this tropical disease, as well as training activities.
It will provide technical field support and expert staff for the rapid assessment of leishmaniasis outbreaks. It will also conduct validation of diagnostic tests in field conditions, identification of parasites and assessment of the epidemiological role of reservoirs and vectors. To strengthen global capacity, the Centre will offer specialized training for students, health workers and visiting researchers.
WHO estimates that, annually, between 700 000 and one million new cases of leishmaniasis occur globally, with over one billion people living in endemic areas at risk of infection. This partnership is therefore critical for strengthening the global response to leishmaniasis and enhancing national capacities for disease surveillance, control and prevention.
Applied experience
Recent contributions from the Centre include the confirmation of serological diagnosis during an outbreak in Kenya, molecular identification of parasite species in samples from Greece and Nepal and the development of national clinical guidelines for Ghana. It has also provided expert review and advice on WHO guidelines for treatment and vector and animal reservoirs.
“As a WHO Collaborating Centre, our laboratory has the opportunity to apply our experience beyond our borders and offer the most advanced science to the most neglected,” said Dr Javier Moreno Nuncio, Head of the Reference Laboratory for Leishmaniasis at the ISCIII.
“WHO collaborating centres on leishmaniasis are centres of excellence and provide close support in progressing WHO’s global efforts in the prevention, control and elimination of leishmaniasis,” added Dr Saurabh Jain, Scientist and Focal Point –Leishmaniasis, at WHO’s Department of Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases.