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Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a poverty-related disease with two main clinical forms: visceral
leishmaniasis and cutaneous leishmaniasis. An estimated 0·7-1 million new cases of
leishmaniasis per year are reported from nearly 100 endemic countries. The number
of reported visceral leishmaniasis cases has decreased substantially in the past decade
as a result of better access to diagnosis and treatment and more intense vector control
within an elimination initiative in Asia, although natural cycles in transmission
intensity might play a role. In east Africa however, the case numbers of this fatal
disease continue to be sustained. Increased conflict in endemic areas of cutaneous
leishmaniasis and forced displacement has resulted in a surge in these endemic areas
as well as clinics across the world. WHO lists leishmaniasis as one of the neglected
tropical diseases for which the development of new treatments is a priority. Major
evidence gaps remain, and new tools are needed before leishmaniasis can be definitively
controlled.