by Dahl EH, Hamdan HM, Mabrouk L, Hadley Matendechero S, Bishaw Mengistie T, Siddig Elhag M, Lado M, Adera C, Abdalla Atia A, Potet J, den Boer M, Ritmeijer K, Alvar J, Alves F, Alcoba G. BMJ Global Health 2021; 6:e006835. doi:10.1136/ bmjgh-2021-006835
Summary: This commentary presents three threats to the significant progress made in reducing the global burden of visceral leishmaniasis: cuts in the UK’s overseas aid budget that will reduce funding for VL elimination; Bio-Rad Laboratories’ planned discontinuation of production of the only effective rapid test, meaning that thousands of cases may go undetected in East Africa; and a looming global shortage of AmBisome®, a first-line treatment produced by Gilead, due to COVID 19-related demand. These developments put the achievement of both the World Health Organization neglected tropical diseases road map for visceral leishmaniasis by 2030 and Sustainable Development Goal 3.3 in jeopardy. The UK government, Bio-Rad, and Gilead must honour their commitments in order to avoid undermining decades of progress.
