02324nas a2200481   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042653002700054653001600081653001900097653001500116653002000131100001600151700001500167700001400182700001400196700001100210700001100221700001200232700001100244700001300255700001100268700001600279700001400295700001300309700001300322700001200335700001200347700001200359700001300371700001900384700001200403700001100415700001200426700001100438700001900449245012500468856009900593300000900692490000700701520112000708022001401828       2026                            d  c02/202610aVisceral Leishmaniasis10aElimination10aPublic health 10aBangladesh10aLessons learned1 aChowdhury R1 aHazarika A1 aSultana S1 aHossain M1 aSaha S1 aNabi S1 aSohel A1 aRana M1 aRahman M1 aKhan M1 aMaheswary N1 aKroeger A1 aYajima A1 aMondal D1 aAdnan S1 aJhora S1 aIslam M1 aBasher A1 aShamsuzzaman A1 aAhmed B1 aFaiz M1 aAlvar J1 aBern C1 aAktaruzzaman M00aElimination of visceral leishmaniasis as a public health problem in Bangladesh: Lessons learned and questions remaining.  uhttps://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0013949&type=printable  a1-170 v203 a<p>In 2023, Bangladesh became the first country to achieve World Health Organization (WHO) validation of elimination of visceral leishmaniasis as a public health problem, defined as maintenance of annual kala-azar incidence at <1 case per 10,000 population at the subdistrict (upazila) level. The pillars of the programme are early diagnosis and effective treatment, indoor residual insecticide spraying, improved case detection, social mobilization and operational research, and effective disease surveillance. The Bangladesh National Kala-azar Elimination Programme was established in 2008, with introduction of rapid diagnostics and newer treatment modalities in health complexes at sub-district level in the endemic area in 2012-2015, initiation of blanket IRS in affected communities in 2012-2013 and adoption of a digital surveillance system in 2015. All subdistricts achieved and maintained the elimination threshold from 2017 onward. We present documentation of the course of KA elimination in Bangladesh and provide a perspective on the components necessary to maintain current success into the future.</p>  a1935-2735