Present status and progress towards kala-azar elimination programme in Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

Kala-azar (KA) and Lymphatic Filariasis (LF), two out of the six vector borne diseases slated for elimination from the country by Government of India. Kala-azar or Visceral Leishmaniasisis prevalent in the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh mainly in the districts bordering to Bihar, the state known for high endemicity of the disease. This disease has been targeted for elimination not only from thestate butfrom the country by 2020 by bringing down the Kala-azar prevalenceto <1 per 10000 population at sub district/block level. The two important interventions in Kala-azar control Programme includes Indoor residual spray (IRS) and Active Case Searches (ACS) in the endemic districts. The disease has been existed since long back in the state and the efforts made towards elimination are inadequate and deviated from the guidelines laid down by Directorate of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP).If the population of the sub district/ block is considered basic unit for calculating the prevalence of Kala-azar case<1 per 10000 population, then the state has achieved the same and as no activity pertaining to Kala-azar intervention measure is needed but in order to achieve the real target, it is suggested to consider the population of Health Sub-Center (HSC) for calculating the parameter of Kala-azar case <1 per 10000 population, for which a long way is required by undertaking measures like (a) active cases search drive for at least up to three years sweeping the whole population of the district, (b) complete treatment of the KA cases (both VL & PKDL), (c) complete coverage of population with IRS following the time line and quality of IRS as per NVBDCP guidelines, and (d) intervention activities needs to be synchronized with neighboring states or country subjecting their areas for KA elimination. Present study revealed the current status and progress towards elimination of the disease.