USAID support for Parivarthan Child Survival Project gets the final approval for implementation Aug 12, 2008
The high rate is mainly due to low birth weight, lack basic knowledge by mothers, poverty, remoteness of the villages and inaccessibility of health care facilities, infectious diseases such as malaria and Kala-azar. Vaccination and immunization of infants and children have been inadequate among tribal groups as well. (AlertNet)
Report: 1/3 Nepali facing risk of Kala-azar Jun 24, 2008
KATHMANDU, June 24 (Xinhua) -- One-third of Nepal's population faces the risk of Kala-azar with numbers going up to 8,007,323 in 2007 from what was 5,616,489 in 2006, local newspaper The Himalayan Times quoted a government report on Tuesday ... In the last three years, Nepal and its neighbors India and Bangladesh have jointly agreed to eradicate Kala-azar by 2015 and several donors have pledged and invested more than 40 million Nepali rupees (around 578,000 U.S. dollars) in Nepal only, but... (Xinhuanet, China)
Short of drugs, south Nepal district gripped by kala-azar Apr 20, 2008
KATHMANDU, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Medicines are in short supply when people in a south Nepal district afflicted with kala-azar are languishing without treatment, local newspaper The Himalayan Times reported Sunday ... Shrestha added that these would not be enough for even the 17 chronic kala-azar patients who were being treated at the hospital ... Most of the kala-azar patients are from a community called Taiwan Basti and their economic condition is very bad. (Xinhuanet, China)
Leishmania donovani in Indian Mucosal Leishmaniasis Jan 17, 2008
He did not have a history of kala-azar. Repeated biopsy of the lip and alveolar mucosa showed an infiltrate composed of lymphocytes, histiocytes, and many plasma cells. (New England Journal of Medicine)
State health sector to get a boost Nov 20, 2007
About different national health programmes, the minister said spraying of DDT had been carried out in 31 districts of the state for eradication of kala-azar. He said medicines are available at all health sub-centres for leprosy patients. (Times of India)
OneWorld Health starts testing drug in India Nov 7, 2007
This program will test injections of Paromomycin IM as a treatment for visceral leishmaniasis, or kala-azar. The drug has already been approved by Indian regulators, and this test will monitor its use by doctors in rural areas of Bihar State, a poor section of northern India. (San Francisco Business Journal)
Amyris Biotechnologies Inc. Nov 7, 2007
Under her leadership, the Institute for OneWorld Health developed paromomycin, a treatment for kala-azar, or black fever, that will be introduced into the Indian public health system. Also, in partnership with and the , Berkeley, the institute helped to develop a cheap, synthetic anti-malarial drug. (East Bay Business Times, CA)
Bangalore company sees R&D scope in neglected diseases Oct 13, 2007
New Delhi /Mumbai: Having signed its first drug development deal for liver disease leishmaniasis (known as kala-azar in India) with a global health agency, Bangalores Advinus Therapeutics Pvt ... We expect, in the next 12 months, to have two more research collaborations and our focus will remain on neglected diseases such as kala-azar, malaria and tuberculosis, Rashmi Barbhaiya, managing director of Advinus, said on the sidelines of an industry event on Friday ... On Thursday, Advinus had... (Livemint)
Infectious Disease Research Institute and Chembio to Develop Tests for Leishmaniasis and Leprosy May 31, 2007
It is estimated that about 500,000 new cases of the visceral form (kala-azar or "the killing disease") occur each year. Most of the deaths occur in children. (PR Newswire)
OneWorld Health selects Odyssey Research for phase 4 study in India Mar 29, 2007
With approximately 500,000 new cases occurring annually, visceral leishmaniasis, also known as kala-azar or black fever, is the worlds second most deadly parasitic disease following malaria. "We welcome Odyssey Research as part of our team to further develop Paromomycin IM Injection as a safe, affordable and effective treatment for a major public health problem in India," said Dr. Ahvie Herskowitz, OneWorld Healths Chief Medical Officer. (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
Cheaper antidote for kala-azar in the offing Jan 6, 2007
NEW DELHI: Treatment for kala-azar the second most deadly parasitic disease in the world following malaria will soon get cheaper ... Sunil Shaunak, professor of infectious diseases and Steve Brocchini from the London School of Pharmacy, who are starting their research on the new anti-kala-azar molecule "next week" told TOI that the new medicine will reduce treatment of the disease by over 90% and will be as effective as the present day drugs of choice like Miltefosine and Amphoterecine... (India Times, India -- Community News)
Mission to bring cheap drugs to poor Jan 2, 2007
The pair are now working on a drug for visceral leishmaniasis, also known as kala-azar - a fatal disease transmitted by the sandfly. Most cases are in Brazil, Bangladesh, India and the Sudan. (Guardian Unlimited)
