Kenya, Uganda to develop oral drug to treat kala-azar
A dormant anthill near Lodwar-Kakuma road in Turkana. The anthills harbour sand flies that spread kala-azar disease. PHOTO | FILE
Scientists in Kenya and Uganda are developing an oral medication for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar, a disease that accounts for up to 40,000 deaths in Africa each year.
The scientists from the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) and Makerere University are searching for an oral treatment that is safe, effective, low-cost and requires only a short course of treatment.
