Cross-Border Collaboration Gains Political Traction as Africa Targets Visceral Leishmaniasis Elimination

Nine countries – Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Tanzania – signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during a World Health Assembly side event, outlining a joint strategy for surveillance, treatment, and disease control across borders.

The initiative aligns with WHO’s 2021–2030 NTD roadmap and the regional visceral leishmaniasis elimination framework launched in June 2024.