As its various attempts to eliminate Kala-azar yet to deliver results, the Union Health Ministry is now in the process of setting up a National Commission aiming a focused-approach to curb the disease, which continues to be endemic in 54 districts in the country.
Kala-azar (KA) or Visceral leishmaniasis (Vl) is a parasitic disease spread by sandfly. The parasite, which spreads between humans through the bite of an infected sandfly, attacks the immune system and can kill, if not treated.
Kala-azar is the second-largest parasitic killer after malaria worldwide, causing an estimated 2 lakh new infections each year.
The disease is endemic in Indian subcontinent in 119 districts in four countries namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal.
India alone accounts for about 50 per cent of the global burden of the disease with 33 districts in Bihar, four in Jharkhand, eleven in West Bengal and six districts in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Unable to eliminate the disease by 2015, the Government has now postponed the target date to 2020 which is also the global goal.
“It has also been decided to set up a national Kala-azar Commission under the chairmanship of Prof lM Nath, former Dean, AIIMS to draw strategy to ensure focused approach to curb the disease. Moreover, it also need international monitoring,” said a senior official from National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) under the Health Ministry.
He said in 2013, the cases have declined by 38 per cent in 2011. Mortality has also reduced from 90 deaths in 2011 to 20 in 2013. During 2015, 7720 cases were reported, a reduction of 8.8 percent over the corresponding period of last year.
However, while 89 per cent of the total 625 endemic blocks reported less than 1 case per 10,000 population, 78 blocks still showing more than one case per 10,000 population, prompting the Government to intensify the supervision by increasing manpower and other logistics. 100 per cent spray coverage of synthetic Pyerthroid is also planned to cutdown vector density of sandflies.
As there are currently no accurate data on the burden of Post Kala-Azar Dermal leishmaniasis (PKDl) and Vl-HIV co-infection emerging as a serious concern there is a strong need to establish surveillance for both the conditions, said the official.
Kala-azar is characterized by irregular bouts of high fever, substantial weight loss, enlargement of the spleen and liver, and anaemia.