Janakpurdham, May 3: A seven-day workshop on “the future perspectives of Kala-azar control activities in Nepal” began here recently. The workshop is being organised with the objective of formulating short and long term strategies as well as guidelines for appropriate technology for controlling the spread of kala-azar in Nepal.

About six million people of Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Saptari, Siraha, Udaipur, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Rautahat, Bara and Parsa districts linked with the Indian State of  Bihar are vulnerable to Kala-azar. Of the 15,391 people affected by Kala-azar in the past two decades, 391 people have already died of the disease.

The disease, which is transmitted by sand fly has an incubation period of three days to nine months. Failure to have proper treatment on time proves fatal.

Inaugurating the seminar Minister of State for Health Tirtharam Dangol expressed confidence that the seminar will come up with substantial conclusion on the diagnosis and prevention of the disease. Health Secretary Srikant Regmi, director of epidemiology and Disease Control Division Dr. Mahendra Bista, Dr. Panduka Vijayratne and Dr. G. D. Thakur of environmental health project and others presented various suggestions for preventing the disease. The seminar was organized jointly by the Health Ministry, the Department of Health Services, the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division and World Health Organization.