{
  "id": 293712,
  "title": "WHO guidelines on leishmaniases: treatment of visceral leishmaniasis and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis in eastern Africa and South-East Asia",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/who-guidelines-on-leishmaniases-treatment-of-visceral-leishmaniasis",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-08T03:37:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "WHO Africa",
    "slug": "who-africa",
    "url": "https://www.afro.who.int/countries/chad/publication/who-guidelines-leishmaniases-treatment-visceral-leishmaniasis-and-post-kala-azar-dermal"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The World Health Organization has revised its guidelines for the management of two types of leishmaniasis – visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) – in specific regions of Africa and Asia. Eastern Africa, identified as the most severely impacted ecoepidemiological subregion, accounts for 73% of the global VL cases reported to WHO in 2023. VL is endemic in several African nations, including Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda, where it is caused by Leishmania donovani infection. This disease can be fatal if not treated promptly.\n\nThe updated guidelines introduce a revised safety profile for miltefosine, which highlights a reasonable possibility of ocular adverse events being linked to the drug, accompanied by risk-mitigation measures. They also present new treatment regimens for PKDL in both eastern Africa and South-East Asia. Furthermore, alternative treatment options are suggested for patients presenting with primary VL in these regions. The guidelines include advice on managing VL relapses in South-East Asia. Additionally, they provide weight-band-based allometric dosing of miltefosine and indicators for monitoring the implementation of these new recommendations. The WHO directives are intended for healthcare professionals, managers of national leishmaniasis control programs, policy-makers, and partners operating within endemic countries.",
  "summary": "The World Health Organization (WHO) has updated its guidelines for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) in eastern Africa and South-East Asia. Eastern Africa is the most severely affected region, accounting for 73% of globally reported VL cases in 2023. VL is endemic in several countries across this subregion, including Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda, all of which are caused by infection with Leishmania donovani. VL can be fatal if not treated promptly. The new guidelines include an updated safety profile for miltefosine, a proposed risk-mitigation measure for ocular adverse events, new treatment regimens for PKDL, alternative treatment options for primary VL in eastern Africa, guidance on managing VL relapse in South-East Asia, and weight-band-based allometric dosing of miltefosine. The guidelines are intended for clinicians, managers of national leishmaniasis control programmes, policy-makers, and partners working in endemic countries.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}