Extract below. Read online: https://www.who.int/news/item/29-07-2026-who-updates-treatment-guideline...
29 July 2026 Geneva
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued major updates to its leishmaniasis treatment guidelines for eastern Africa and South-East Asia, recommending new regimens that significantly improve patient care. The new WHO guidelines, released today, are applicable for visceral leishmaniasis (VL, also called kala-azar), a deadly disease, and for post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL).
Kala-azar (‘black fever’ in Hindi) is transmitted by the bite of an infected sandfly and is one of the world’s deadliest parasitic killers after malaria. It causes high fever, weight loss, anaemia, spleen and liver enlargement, and, if not treated, death. The disease is endemic in 80 countries, with around 50 000 to 90 000 cases every year, while only 25–45% are reported to WHO.
PKDL is a skin rash that can develop as a complication of kala-azar. While it is not life-threatening, it can act as a potential reservoir of infection and is highly stigmatizing. Many people with PKDL face social isolation and mental health challenges.
The updated guidelines include (i) alternative, shorter and safer treatment of primary VL in eastern Africa; (ii) new, shorter, effective and safer treatments for PKDL in eastern Africa and South-East Asia; and (iii) relapse management in immunocompetent VL patients in South-East Asia. Additionally, it updates the safety profile of miltefosine, incorporating the recommendations of the WHO Advisory Committee on the Safety of Medicinal Products, and provides allometric dosing for miltefosine.
“For too long, patients suffering from leishmaniasis have endured treatments nearly as punishing as the disease itself, especially in Africa. These new WHO guidelines mark a turning point,” said Dr Daniel Ngamije Madandi, WHO Director of Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases. “By recommending safer, shorter and more patient-friendly regimens, we are not just improving care; we are accelerating our fight to eliminate this devastating disease and offering renewed hope to communities across Africa and Asia.”
Leishmaniasis is a treatable and curable disease. Its treatment depends upon several factors including the type of disease (clinical form), immune status of patient, species of parasite causing it, concomitant pathologies and geographic location...
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org