Kala azar status  in SEA Region

CURRENT DISEASE BURDEN

The disease is endemic in three countries of WHO’s SEA Region –Bangladesh, India and Nepal. Approximately 200 million people in the Region are “at risk” from the disease. The disease is now being reported in 45 districts in Bangladesh, 52 in India and 12 in Neplal. The total number of districts reporting kala-azar exceeds 109. Of the estimated 500,000 people in the world infected each year, nearly 100,000 are estimated to occur in the Region. In the endemic countries, kala azar affects the poorest among the poor. The very poor have little knowledge about the disease and hence they are unlikely to seek early treatment, and most of those who start treatment cannot afford to complete it. The occurrence of the disease drags then further into the downward spiral of poverty from which they are unable to recover. Kala azar worsens the poverty amongst the people. It contributes to poor development of the area and stresses the overstretched health system.