Two international health charities, LifeArc and FIND, have announced a funding support of 7.8 million U.S. dollars to bolster Kenya’s efforts to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis, a fatal vector-borne disease also known as kala-azar among children. The funding aims to improve the diagnosis and treatment of the neglected tropical disease among children in Kenya.

Visceral leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease found in marginalized parts of Africa, affecting mainly children and being fatal in over 95 percent of cases if left untreated. The disease, caused by parasites spread by sandflies, affects internal organs and presents symptoms such as weight loss, and enlargement of the spleen and liver.

The funding from international charities is expected to help Kenya improve community awareness and enhance the capacity of local health facilities to conduct faster diagnosis and treatment of visceral leishmaniasis. The initiative is targeted for elimination by the World Health Organization (WHO) by 2030, and strategic partnerships are emphasized to boost the elimination of kala-azar.

Mike Strange, head of Global Health at LifeArc, highlighted the role of funding and strategic partnerships in supporting the implementation of existing tools, as well as helping move forward new and improved diagnostic tests. He emphasized that this represents a real opportunity to make a step-change and contribute towards eliminating this fatal disease in Kenya.

Helen Bokea, the director of Neglected Tropical Diseases at FIND, emphasized that enhanced surveillance, detection, and treatment will be key to achieving the 2030 WHO visceral leishmaniasis elimination target in Kenya.