NAIROBI, 12 April 2010 (IRIN Photo) - Kala Azar is a parasitic disease transmitted by sand-flies affecting an estimated 500,000 people a year globally. If left untreated it will almost always result in death. It is the world's second-largest parasitic killer after malaria, yet few people have even heard of it. The disease is endemic in many parts of India and east Africa, including the Pokot region of northwest Kenya.

The international medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) established a presence in the town of Kachileba in 2006  treating between 30 and 50 people a month.The treatment consists of one injection a day for 30 days and has a very high success rate.But despite this, thousands still die every year in Kenya because they have no access to medical facilities, information or trained medical personnel.


Source  http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=88779