Visceral Leishmaniasis : Potential for Control and Elimination

Over the past years there has been a steep increase in awareness of visceral leishmaniasis (VL); many large-scale interventions are being implemented and targets for control and elimination have been set. In this thesis the potential of reaching these targets will be explored. To achieve this, the following research questions will be addressed:

1) What is the global health impact when achieving WHOs’ targets for disease elimination and control of 9 neglected tropical diseases, and in particular visceral leishmaniasis?

2) Are veterinarians in the endemic regions of Spain and France aware of the spread of zoonotic VL in Europe and do they implement the guidelines to control the disease?

3) What insights can transmission models provide regarding the feasibility of achieving VL elimination targets on the Indian subcontinent?