Leishmaniasis Vaccine - Case Study

The World Health Organization in its report on Neglected Tropical Diseases has stated that there is overwhelming evidence to show that the burden caused by many of the 17 diseases that affect more than 1 billion people worldwide can be effectively controlled and, in many cases, eliminated or even eradicated. Leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania spp is one such example and poses a grave health risk to an estimated 350 million people. Between 200,000 and 400,000 cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) are reported annually from endemic areas of the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia and Africa.