[leish-l] Leishmaniasis in Pakistan and Afganistan

Fred R. Opperdoes opperdoes at trop.ucl.ac.be
Thu Feb 14 12:11:25 BRST 2002


Leishmaniasis, control strategies - RFI               19970125.0145]

Date: Tue 12 Feb 2002 12:50:39 -0500
From: Marianne Hopp <mhopp at iri.columbia.edu>
Source: WHO [edited]
<http://www.who.int/disease-outbreak-news/n2002/february/12february2002.html>


Leishmaniasis in camps for Afghan refugees in Pakistan
- ------------------------------------------------------
WHO and the Ministry of Health have carried out a second assessment
mission to the Northwest Frontier Province (see previous report) and
have reported 5000 cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Kurram Agency
and other Agencies of the Province. The epidemiological pattern
suggests anthroponotic transmission (man to man) through the sandfly
vector with no animals involved.

15 000 vials of pentavalent antimonials (first-line drugs) are needed
immediately to treat the cases. WHO has sent 7000 vials to the WHO
Country Office and the government of Iran has generously pledged an
additional 1670 vials.  WHO has purchased the remaining drugs still
required (6400 vials), which will be available in early March. The
mission recommended a plan of action to involve the Ministry of
Health, WHO, UNHCR and nongovernmental organizations in the area
which will cover: the training of local health workers and the
translation of guidelines into the local languages, intensified
surveillance and vector control activities to prevent further
transmission. The most affected group in Kurram Agency are children
below the age of 15.

- --
ProMED-mail
<promed at promedmail.org>
-- 
Fred R. Opperdoes,
Research Unit for Tropical Diseases (TROP) and
Laboratory of Biochemistry (BCHM)
Christian de Duve Institute of Cellular Pathology (ICP)
and Catholic University of Louvain (UCL)
Avenue Hippocrate 74-75, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium

Tel: ++32-2-764.74.39 (secretary) Fax: ++32-2-762.68.53
Tel: ++32-2-764.74.55 (direct)
Voicemail/fax: ++3270705047
E-mail:Opperdoes at trop.ucl.ac.be
Internet: http://www.icp.ucl.ac.be/trop/
           http://www.icp.ucl.ac.be/~opperd/Fred.html



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