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By Jeckonia Otieno
Dr Sharif, the Director of Ministry of Public Health and sanitation presided over the launch of the national guidelines for diagnostic techniques and improved treatment regimens for patients suffering from kala-azar, or Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), the most deadly parasitic disease after malaria.
Research and collaboration leading to the adoption of these revised VL Guidelines were carried out by the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation (MoPHS) together with its partners (KEMRI - Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative – DNDi Africa; Doctors without Borders –MSF; Kenya’s Neglected Tropical Diseases Division – NTD; and the World Health Organization- WHO).
The VL Guidelines aim to help health workers throughout Kenya to better diagnose and manage the disease. The most affected areas of Kenya include Baringo, West Pokot and some parts of Wajir.
“For a long time, case diagnosis has relied on painful splenic or bone marrow aspirates, which can only be carried out by skilled health workers,” said Dr. Sharif, of the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation. “The development of rapid diagnostic test kits that can be used by health workers even remote areas are a major step forward in terms of diagnosing the disease,” he added.
Treatment of Kala-azar in East Africa has been by use of pentavalent antimonial formulations, mainly Sodium stibogluconate (SSG or Pentostam) and Sodium antimoniate (Glucantime). These treatments are administered over a period of 30 days, in which case the drugs are toxic, with side effects.
An improved treatment option has been developed and is now recommended in the VL Guidelines as first-line treatment – sodium stibogluconate combined with paromomycin - SSG&PM, developed by DNDi and many partners in East Africa. SSG&PM will use lower doses, shorten treatment duration and cost. “This is an important milestone in the treatment of kalaazar in East Africa,” said Dr. Monique Wasunna(Head of DNDi Africa) “The WHO recommendation to use it as first-line treatment for kalaazar in East Africa is now reflected in Kenya’s guidelines,” she added.
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