Founder of the Leishmaniasis Advocacy Network, Jessica shares her journey with cutaneous leishmaniasis, from diagnosis to recovery, and how it shaped her commitment to advocacy.

India bears 42% of global burden of neglected tropical diseases: WHO Records second-largest reduction in cases worldwide.

Founder of the Leishmaniasis Advocacy Network, Jessica shares her journey with cutaneous leishmaniasis, from diagnosis to recovery, and how it shaped her commitment to advocacy.

'Road to Elimination of Kala-azar in South Asia’ tells a powerful story of partnership, perseverance, and progress. It shows what happens when leadership, communities, and science come together. Kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis) once devastated the poorest and most vulnerable communities, standing as one of South Asia’s toughest public health challenges. Today, that story is being rewritten. Across Bangladesh, India, and Nepal, two decades of political leadership, community engagement, scientific innovation, and cross-border collaboration, through the Regional Kala Azar Elimination Initiative have transformed the situation. The results show that elimination is possible, even in the hardest settings. The film celebrates 20 years of the Regional Kala-azar Elimination Framework. It also looks forward: toward stronger, people-centered public health systems and multi-disease elimination across the region. Developed by  World Health Organization South-East Asia  Regional Office in collaboration with DNDi, and produced by JDot Productions. Find out more about DNDi's work on kala-azar: https://dndi.org/diseases/visceral-leishmaniasis/ ---------- The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) is an international non-profit developing safe, effective, and affordable treatments for the most neglected patients. https://dndi.org

YouTube video by Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi)