Epidemiological information on disease burden due to kala-azar in Bangladesh, India and Nepal : report of an informal consultation, Paro, Bhutan, 8-10 March 2011
Loading...
Date
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia
Abstract
Description
The "Informal Consultation on Epidemiological Information on Disease Burden due to Kala-azar in Bangladesh, India and Nepal" was held from 8 to 10 March 2011 in Paro, Bhutan. It was jointly organized by the Leishmaniasis Control Programme of the World Health Organization's Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases (Integrated Disease Management) and the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia (SEARO), with the support of the WHO Country Office in Bhutan. Leishmaniasis is prevalent in 88 countries, and there are an estimated 2 000 000 new cases per year, of which 500 000 are cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). In the Indian subcontinent alone, around 300 000 cases occur yearly, which represents an estimated 70% of the total burden of VL. India and Bangladesh are among the most severely affected countries in the world. In Nepal, the incidence of VL is somewhat lower. In 2005, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Bangladesh, India and Nepal to eliminate VL by 2015, with elimination defined as a reduction of the incidence to less than one in 10 000 of the population.