Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
Professionals Alerted On Challenges of Kala Azar-HIV Co-Infection
The Daily Monitor (Addis Ababa)
22 November 2007
By Biruk Girma
Addis Abeba
HIV health professionals in Ethiopia inevitably have to take on board the challenges of treating patients with Kala Azar (KA), a parasitic illness transmitted by the bite of a sand fly, participants of a workshop were told on Wednesday.
Participants of the workshop were urged to be aware that, due to the strong and dangerous nature of its association with HIV- resulting in acceleration of the virus replication and AIDS progression-there should be an adequate knowledge and diagnostic skills among health professionals.
The workshop organized by the International medical relief organization, Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF-H) aimed at exploring the challenges faced in Kala Azar and HIV programs in the country.
Visceral Leishmaniasis, one of the neglected Tropical diseases, hugely affecting the life of people living in Endemic areas, has spread in the low lands of Ethiopia, according to Dr. Abate Mulugeta, World Health Organization (WHO) Kala Azar Focal person in the Amhara Regional State.
Presenting the WHO update on Kala Azar in Ethiopia at the workshop, Abate said VL was appearing in some areas where it has never been known before.
WHO identifies Kala Azar (KA), also known as Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) as AIDS defining illness.
KA stimulates increase in viral Load. It decreases further CD4 count.
Through its programmes in Abdurfi, Amhara Region and Humera, Tigray region MSF-H has provided medical care to both migrant workers, resettles and the endemic population.
The MSF's workshop stimulated constructive debate among the participants, and identify strategic opportunities with all relevant stakeholders for the realization and implementation of the KA roll-out program in the country.
It also identified opportunities for the ART roll-out plan to extend Abdurafi, Amhara Region.
Co-infection of HIV and Visceral Leishmaniasis is a growing concern in Ethiopia and is a common problem seen in the MSF programmes in Humera and Abdurafi.
Given that Visceral Leishmaniasis is still a little known health problem in the country it is highly likely that the scale of the problem and the burden to tackle it would hugely be underestimated, according to MSF-Holland.
To this day, there is no control prgramme of any sort, no diagnosis or systematic surveillance system in the country as far as Kal Azar is concerned.
MSF-H has been involved in Kala Azar programs in Ethiopia for the past ten years, since 1997, and currently has Kala Azar projects in both Abdurafi and Humera.
As one of the first organizations to work on the provision of free ARV treatment and care in Ethiopia- MSF-H was providing ART service from January 2004 until May 2007 in the Kafta Humera Woreda-handed over the ART program successfully to be BOH and hospital in Humera in May 2007.
MSH-H also has initiated an ART program in Abdurafi, Amhara Region since May 2007.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200711220214.html
The Daily Monitor (Addis Ababa)
22 November 2007
By Biruk Girma
Addis Abeba
HIV health professionals in Ethiopia inevitably have to take on board the challenges of treating patients with Kala Azar (KA), a parasitic illness transmitted by the bite of a sand fly, participants of a workshop were told on Wednesday.
Participants of the workshop were urged to be aware that, due to the strong and dangerous nature of its association with HIV- resulting in acceleration of the virus replication and AIDS progression-there should be an adequate knowledge and diagnostic skills among health professionals.
The workshop organized by the International medical relief organization, Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF-H) aimed at exploring the challenges faced in Kala Azar and HIV programs in the country.
Visceral Leishmaniasis, one of the neglected Tropical diseases, hugely affecting the life of people living in Endemic areas, has spread in the low lands of Ethiopia, according to Dr. Abate Mulugeta, World Health Organization (WHO) Kala Azar Focal person in the Amhara Regional State.
Presenting the WHO update on Kala Azar in Ethiopia at the workshop, Abate said VL was appearing in some areas where it has never been known before.
WHO identifies Kala Azar (KA), also known as Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) as AIDS defining illness.
KA stimulates increase in viral Load. It decreases further CD4 count.
Through its programmes in Abdurfi, Amhara Region and Humera, Tigray region MSF-H has provided medical care to both migrant workers, resettles and the endemic population.
The MSF's workshop stimulated constructive debate among the participants, and identify strategic opportunities with all relevant stakeholders for the realization and implementation of the KA roll-out program in the country.
It also identified opportunities for the ART roll-out plan to extend Abdurafi, Amhara Region.
Co-infection of HIV and Visceral Leishmaniasis is a growing concern in Ethiopia and is a common problem seen in the MSF programmes in Humera and Abdurafi.
Given that Visceral Leishmaniasis is still a little known health problem in the country it is highly likely that the scale of the problem and the burden to tackle it would hugely be underestimated, according to MSF-Holland.
To this day, there is no control prgramme of any sort, no diagnosis or systematic surveillance system in the country as far as Kal Azar is concerned.
MSF-H has been involved in Kala Azar programs in Ethiopia for the past ten years, since 1997, and currently has Kala Azar projects in both Abdurafi and Humera.
As one of the first organizations to work on the provision of free ARV treatment and care in Ethiopia- MSF-H was providing ART service from January 2004 until May 2007 in the Kafta Humera Woreda-handed over the ART program successfully to be BOH and hospital in Humera in May 2007.
MSH-H also has initiated an ART program in Abdurafi, Amhara Region since May 2007.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200711220214.html