Can visceral leishmaniasis be eliminated from Asia?

Data on the burden of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Indian sub-continent are vital for elimination programme planners for estimating resource requirements, effective implementation and monitoring of elimination programme. In Indian sub-continent, about 200 million population is at risk of VL. Nearly 25,000-40,000 cases and 200-300 deaths are reported every year, but these are grossly underestimates. Recent well-designed multicentric studies identified VL burden of 21 cases/10,000 among sampled population in Indian sub-continent (Bangladesh, India and Nepal). This estimates 4,20,000 cases per 200 million risk population clearly indicating that the disease is highly under-reported. Chemical and environmental vector control studies show that the indoor residual spraying (IRS) and long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) are effective and significantly reduce sandfly densities. The findings documented…