Visceral leishmaniasis elimination in South Asia
Lessons learnt can inform disease elimination in East Africa
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21879293 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Piero Olliaro (0000-0003-1426-3680, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre), Dinesh Mondal (0000-0001-9154-8327, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research), Ermias Diro (0000-0002-3595-6323, University of Washington), Winnie Mpanju-Shumbusho (London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | e023521 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | BMJ Global Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2059-7908 • E-ISSN: 2059-7908 |
| Publisher | BMJ (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1136/bmjgh-2026-023521 |
| PMID | 41856659 |
| OpenAlex | W7139031041 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 10 |
In 2005, the governments of Bangladesh, India and Nepal, in partnership with the WHO, started the Kala-azar Elimination Programme (KEP) to reduce the incidence of visceral leishmaniasis to below 1 new case in 10 000 population. The target was achieved by Bangladesh in 2017 and validated in 2023. The KEP has demonstrated that, through a concerted approach and public–private partnership, it is possible to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis from the world’s highest endemic region, Southeast Asia. The experience learnt can be used elsewhere for visceral leishmaniasis as well as for other diseases targeted for elimination
Disease · Endemic disease · General partnership · Leishmaniasis · Public health · Visceral leishmaniasis · Parasites and Host Interactions · Research on Leishmaniasis Studies · Trypanosoma species research and implications
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |