Regional technical advisory group on kala-azar elimination

Abstract

The Third Meeting of the Regional Technical Advisory Group (‎RTAG)‎ on kala-azar elimination was held on 8-11 December 2009 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, to review and discuss the kala-azar situation as well as recommend a drug of choice for the Kala-azar Elimination Programme. The currently recommended drug miltefosine has been found to have limited compliance and has teratogenic effects during pregnancy as suggested by experiments on animals. There were reservations about using the drug for the treatment of women of child bearing age. Hence, single dose ambisome has been recommended for the Programme after its feasibility was demonstrated in field conditions. The RTAG meeting discussed vector control methods and monitoring and evaluation of the progress of the Programme. Indicators for such activities were also developed and endorsed. This report synopsizes the deliberations at the meeting and its recommendations.