Social determinants of visceral leishmaniasis elimination in Eastern Africa

Visceral leishmaniasis is a vector-borne, protozoan disease with severe public health implications. Following the successful implementation of an elimination programme in South Asia, there is now a concerted endeavour to replicate these efforts in Eastern Africa based on the five essential eliminati...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jorge Alvar, Saurabh Jain, Maria Teresa Beca-Martínez, Daniel Argaw, Jens Aagaard-Hansen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2023-06-01
Series:BMJ Global Health
Online Access:https://gh.bmj.com/content/8/6/e012638.full
Description
Summary:Visceral leishmaniasis is a vector-borne, protozoan disease with severe public health implications. Following the successful implementation of an elimination programme in South Asia, there is now a concerted endeavour to replicate these efforts in Eastern Africa based on the five essential elimination pillars of case management, integrated vector management, effective surveillance, social mobilisation and operational research. This article highlights how key social determinants (SD) of health (poverty, sociocultural factors and gender, housing and clustering, migration and the healthcare system) operate at five different levels (socioeconomic context and position, differential exposure, differential vulnerability, differential outcomes and differential consequences). These SD should be considered within the context of increasing the success of the five-pillar elimination programme and reducing inequity in health.
ISSN:2059-7908