Sitamarhi: A Global Model for Kala-azar Eradication Under Dr. Ravindra Kumar Yadav's Leadership
Bihar
N
News18•21-01-2026, 18:36
Sitamarhi: A Global Model for Kala-azar Eradication Under Dr. Ravindra Kumar Yadav's Leadership
- •Sitamarhi, once severely affected by Kala-azar with 1299 cases and 12 deaths in 2011, has transformed into a global model for its eradication.
- •Under Dr. Ravindra Kumar Yadav's leadership, treatment evolved from painful injections to simpler oral medications and single-dose Liposomal Amphotericin-B, improving patient acceptance.
- •Administrative commitment, coordinated efforts from various departments, and community involvement, including ASHA workers and children, turned the program into a public movement.
- •Active Case Detection (ACD) campaigns and robust surveillance identified and treated hidden cases, leading to no Kala-azar deaths since 2014.
- •Sitamarhi achieved the elimination target of less than one case per 10,000 population by 2018, with only four cases recorded in 2024-25, and its innovative spraying pump storage model was adopted nationally.
Why It Matters: Sitamarhi's successful Kala-azar eradication, led by Dr. Ravindra Kumar Yadav, is a global health model.
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