Six East African nations have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at eliminating visceral leishmaniasis commonly known as kala-azar one of the world’s deadliest and most neglected tropical diseases.
The agreement, signed by Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan, was formalised on the sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva. The ceremony was convened by the African Union and the World Health Organization (WHO), underscoring a growing commitment to regional cooperation in tackling public health threats.
Kala-azar, a parasitic disease spread by sandflies, causes prolonged fever, extreme fatigue, weight loss, and severe damage to internal organs. If left untreated, it is almost always fatal. Ranking second only to malaria among parasitic killers, kala-azar claims a heavy toll in Eastern Africa, where over 70% of the global burden is concentrated. Children under the age of 15 account for nearly half of all cases.
The new MoU paves the way for joint investments in disease surveillance, control, and treatment infrastructure. It also promotes coordinated regional strategies to support the implementation of the visceral leishmaniasis elimination framework launched by Eastern African countries in June 2024.
“As the global community reaches the half-way point towards the roadmap targets and almost one year after we launched a strategic framework for the elimination of visceral leishmaniasis, the critical role of country-led efforts and cross-border collaboration in accelerating elimination cannot be over emphasised,” said Dr Ibrahima Socé Fall, Director of the WHO Global Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme.
The signing was part of a broader push for action against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Ministers of Health from Cameroon, Niger, and Nigeria issued a ‘Call for Action’ to eliminate NTDs across Africa, emphasizing the need for collaborative responses.
“We know that diseases do not stop at borders and neither should our response. More than 600 million people on our continent remain at risk of at least one of the neglected tropical diseases,” said Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, in remarks delivered by Dr Landry Tsague Dongmo.
The agreement marks a significant step forward in the fight to eliminate kala-azar and reduce the burden of neglected tropical diseases across Africa.
