Leishmaniasis programme

Leishmaniasis is caused by the protozoa Leishmania, which are spread by a variety of sand fly species. There are three different clinical manifestations of Leishmaniasis: cutaneous (skin), mucosal (mucus-membrane) and visceral (the most severe form, which affects internal organs). The presence of Leishmaniasis is directly linked to poverty, but social, environmental and climatologic factors directly influence the disease’s epidemiology. Leishmaniasis is classified as a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) and endemic in 98 countries and territories, with more than 350 million people at risk.