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 Lancet Infectious Diseases published a clinical update in Infectious Disease on 04 Feb 2026.
The item focuses on Leishmaniasis: a story of two continents.
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