A review of Leishmaniasis in Eastern Africa

Abstract The review presents the epidemiology of leishmaniasis in the Eastern Africa region. We searched PUB MED and MEDLINE with several key words-namely, “leishmaniasis”;“cutaneous”, “diffuse cutaneous”, “mucosal”, and “visceral leishmaniasis”; “kala azar”, and “post kala azar dermal leishmaniasis”, -for recent clinical and basic science articles related to leishmaniasis in countries in the Eastern Africa region. Poverty, wars, conflicts and migration have significantly aggravated leishmaniases in Eastern Africa. Of particular concern is the increasing incidence of Leishmania -HIV co-infection in Ethiopia where 20∼40% of the persons affected by visceral leishmaniasis are HIV-co-infected. Sudan has the highest prevalence rate of post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis(PKDL) in the world, a skin complication of visceral leishmaniasis(VL) that mainly afflicts children below age ten. In view of its spread to previously non-endemic areas and an increase in imported cases, leishmaniasis in Eastern Africa should be considered a health emergency.