India to seek WHO certification for eliminating Kala-azar

• India has managed to keep Kala-azar cases under one in 10,000 people for two consecutive years, meeting WHO’s elimination certification criteria.
• Kala-azar, also known as visceral leishmaniasis, is the second deadliest parasitic disease after malaria in India.
• The disease, caused by a protozoa parasite transmitted by a female sandfly bite, is fatal if left untreated in more than 95% of cases.
• India’s National Health Policy (2002) set a target of eliminating Kala-azar by 2010, which was revised to 2015, 2017, and then 2020.
• The WHO is now accelerating work to achieve the target by 2030.
• India’s Kala-azar programme focuses on active case detection, effective vector control, and raising community awareness.
• Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and parts of Uttar Pradesh have seen the highest number of Kala-azar cases, with Bihar alone accounting for over 70% of India’s cases.
• Dr. Gopal emphasizes the need to address root causes like poverty and inadequate sanitation, improve surveillance, expand access to rapid diagnostic tools, and make treatments readily available.