Yesterday, the World Health Organization announced the elimination of visceral leishmaniasis as a public health problem by Bangladesh, an achievement we at TDR take great pride in given our support for research in the country over more than two decades that informed policies to eliminate this neglected tropical disease.
Bangladesh has become the first country globally to be validated for elimination of visceral leishmaniasis or kala-azar, a life-threatening neglected tropical disease. The country achieved the elimination target of less than one case per 10,000 population at the sub-district (upazilla) level in 2017 and has sustained it to date despite disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’d like to thank TDR for being a key partner in this achievement and for its long-time support for research that helped us understand which interventions would be effective for elimination,” said Dr. M.M. Aktaruzzaman, Assistant Director & Programme Manager, Filariasis Elimination, STH Control & Kala Azar Elimination programme, Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Bangladesh. “But this is only the beginning. We must sustain this elimination, so we need to continue to conduct implementation research to ensure this disease no longer affects the poorest of the poor.”
Since 2005, TDR has worked with research institutions and control programmes in Bangladesh, India and Nepal to conduct research that informs policy and practice for elimination targets. TDR has supported research on improving disease surveillance through active case detection, new diagnostic tools, single-dose treatment and vector control tools such as indoor residual spraying. One of the longest and most successful implementation research programmes at TDR, these efforts have contributed to the success of the VL elimination work in the Indian subcontinent.
“We congratulate Bangladesh and the many scientists who have contributed to this extraordinary achievement. It has been a phenomenal effort by the national disease control programme, and we are proud to have worked alongside them to achieve this landmark goal,” said TDR Director John Reeder.
You can read about this work in this profile of Dr Dinesh Mondal of the International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research (icddr,b), Bangladesh’s leading health research institution. Dr Mondal also presented highlights from this body of work to TDR’s Joint Coordinating Board in 2021.
“Neglected tropical diseases like visceral leishmaniasis require continued national leadership, commitment and collaborative action by countries and health partners worldwide” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “I salute the great progress made by Bangladesh, in line with WHO guidance, in eliminating visceral leishmaniasis as a public health threat”.
For more information, please contact Dr Abraham Aseffa.