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Mahesh

08/08/22 05:36 AM IST

India: Target to eliminate Kala-azar by 2023

In News 
  • Union Government of India has set the target to eliminate Kala-azar from country by 2023.
  • Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar said, out of 633 Kala-azar endemic blocks, 625 blocks have achieved the elimination target last year.
  • India’s target is way ahead than World Health Organisation (WHO)’s target of eliminating the disease by 2030.
About kala Azar 
  • Kala Azar is also called as Leishmaniasis.
  • It is a neglected tropical disease, by which over 100 countries are affected, including India.
  • Neglected tropical diseases are a group of multiple communicable diseases that are prevalent in tropical and subtropical conditions of 149 countries.
  • The disease is caused due to parasite called Leishmania. This parasite is transmitted via bite of sand flies.
Types of Kala Azar 
  • Visceral leishmaniasis: It affects multiple organs and is considered as the most serious form of the disease. It is commonly called as Kala Azar in India.
  • Cutaneous leishmaniasis: It is the most common type, affecting skin. It results into skin sores.
  • Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis: It causes skin and mucosal lesions.
Treatment 
  • Only drug that is used to treat kala azar is miltefosine. However, this drug is losing its effectiveness rapidly, because of parasite’s resistance to this drug.
  • A protein called ‘P4ATPase-CDC50’, helps in intaking the drug by parasite.
  • But other called ‘P-glycoprotein’, throws this drug out from parasite’s body.
Source- PIB 

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