The sandfly Phlebotomus is prolific. A single female can deposit hundreds of eggs in cracked mud walls and termite mounds, near where the poorest communities live. This fecundity has made visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a neglected tropical disease (NTD) known locally as kala-azar, one of the world's deadliest parasitic diseases after malaria, killing an estimated 20 000–30 000 people annually. Two recent documentary films from the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) capture the disease at a pivotal moment: South Asia celebrates near-elimination while East Africa shoulders a rapidly growing burden.
The sandfly Phlebotomus is prolific. A single female can deposit hundreds of eggs in cracked mud walls and termite mounds, near where the poorest communities live. This fecundity has made visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a neglected tropical disease (NTD) known locally as kala-azar, one of the world's deadliest parasitic diseases after malaria, killing an estimated 20 000–30 000 people annually. Two recent documentary films from the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) capture the disease at a pivotal moment: South Asia celebrates near-elimination while East Africa shoulders a rapidly growing burden.