•Six African nations—Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan—have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis (VL), one of the deadliest neglected tropical diseaseshttps://www.iasjnana.com/.
1. Disease Overview
•Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar, is a parasitic disease second only to malaria in lethality.
•Causes fever, extreme fatigue, weight loss, spleen and liver enlargement, and is often fatal if untreated.
•Over 70% of the global burden is in Eastern Africa, with half of the affected population being children under 15.
About Visceral Leishmaniasis (Kala-azar)
•Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar, is a deadly parasitic disease caused by the Leishmania Donovan protozoan.
•It primarily affects the spleen, liver, and bone marrow, leading to severe complications if untreatedhttps://www.iasjnana.com/.
1. Causes & Transmission
•Caused by Leishmania parasites, transmitted through the bite of infected female phlebotomine sandflies.
•The parasite migrates to internal organs, weakening the immune system.
2. Global Burden & Affected Regions
•Found in India, East Africa, Brazil, and the Mediterranean.
•Over 50,000–90,000 new cases annually, with high fatality rateshttps://www.iasjnana.com/.
