Kala azar-HIV co-infection in Bihar

Since 2007, MSF has treated over 12,000 patients with Kala azar (Visceral Leishmaniasis) in Bihar focusing on improved treatment quality and access for the most vulnerable. Kala azar or Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a neglected tropical disease that develops from the leishmaniasis parasite and is transmitted through the bite of a sand fly. The disease is prevalent in impoverished rural agricultural settings with mud walls, earthen floors and where cattle and livestock live in close proximity to humans. India accounts for 50% of the global burden of kala azar, and Bihar has 80% of the cases found within India. After a successful handover of its primary kala azar project to the State Health Authorities in 2015, MSF is now focused on treating Kala azar-HIV coinfection, which is an emerging public health concern. Kala azar patients who are co-infected with HIV are at a greater risk of death but poor levels of awareness, lack of adequate testing and diagnostics as well as the associated stigma makes the elimination of the disease a challenge.

MSFSTO19568

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