Kala azar, or visceral leishmaniasis, is the second deadliest parasitic disease in the world – only malaria kills more people.
A neglected tropical disease, kala azar is caused by a parasite, spread to humans through the bite of infected female sand flies. It attacks the immune system and is almost always fatal if not treated.
Also known as visceral leishmaniasis, kala azar is the most serious form of leishmaniasis and is endemic in 76 countries, with hundreds of millions at risk of infection. There are between 50,000 and 90,000 new cases a year, about 90 per cent of which occur in Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan. Between 1989 and 2020, MSF teams treated nearly 150,000 people for kala azar; over a third in South Sudan.
Diagnosis and treatment of the disease, especially of the variety found in eastern Africa, can be complex and painful.
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Somalia
Increasing numbers, unchanging needs
Project Update
20 Aug 2007
India
The disease of the 'untouchables'
Project Update
10 Aug 2007
Somalia
A circus of pain and relief - kala azar in Somalia
Project Update
8 May 2007
Ethiopia
Deadly kala azar is still forgotten
Press Release
30 Apr 2007
Neglected diseases
Kala azar kills thousands each year
Project Update
10 Nov 2006
Kala azar
In southern Sudan, this tree is the only hospital for miles
Project Update
5 Apr 2006
Ethiopia
Better access to treatment for Ethiopian kala azar patients
Project Update
6 Mar 2006
Ethiopia
Kala azar complicates HIV/AIDS treatment in Humera
Project Update
28 Oct 2005
Ethiopia
Kala azar outbreak in Ethiopia as rainy season begins
Project Update
27 Jun 2005
Kala azar
Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi): matching needs and opportunities
Project Update
2 Jul 2004
South Sudan
Kala-Azar epidemic threatens thousands in South Sudan
Press Release
22 Dec 2003
Sudan
Heavy rains in northern Sudan leave kala azar project virtually isolated
Project Update
19 Sep 2003
Medical Resource
MSF Field Research
We produce important research based on our field experience. So far, we have published articles in over 100 peer-reviewed journals. These articles have often changed clinical practice and have been used for humanitarian advocacy. All of these articles can be found on our dedicated Field Research website.
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