Areas of intervention for VL control

Introducing the concepts and methods used for VL control

All interventions that aim to have an impact on disease rely on a number of different activities and processes that can address an aspect of the issue. Some of these methods are universal to prevention, control or elimination programmes, others are disease specific.

When designing a disease control program against visceral leishmaniasis several components need to be in place to deliver the desired outcome. The figure below is a representation of a current VL control and elimination programme.

Areas of intervention for control and elimination are:

• Diagnosis and treatment
• Vector control – See Steps 3.6 – 3.9 in Week 3
• Health education and engagement with the affected community – See Steps 4.11 and 4.12 in Week 4
• Outbreak control – See Steps 4.7 and 4.8 in Week 4

Over and above those intervention activities in those areas, are key elements, which are universal to the delivery and success of any control program:

• Training
• Surveillance of the disease
• Monitoring and evaluation of intervention activities and overall program
• Research to improve on the understanding of disease and control

Further reading

1. WHO, Control of the leishmaniasis: report of a meeting of the WHO Expert Committee on the Control of Leishmaniases, in WHO Technical Report Series. 2010, World Health Organisation: Geneva.

2. Kamhawi, S., The yin and yang of leishmaniasis control. PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2017. 11(4): p. e0005529.