Lok Sabha Question No. 3360 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-05
Subject: Elimination of Kala-azar
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Bhartruhari Mahtab

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3360 ANSWERED ON 05-08-2022

## ELIMINATION OF KALA-AZAR

## 3360:   SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  set  any  target  for  elimination  of  Kala-azar  in  the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the achievements made in this regard;
- (c) the number of cases of Kala-azar reported during each of the last three years and the current year, year-wise and State/UT-wise;
- (d) the  details  of  necessary  remedial  steps  taken  in  this  regard  during  each  of  the  last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise; and
- (e) the funds allocated and utilised for the same during each of the last three years and the current year, year-wise and State/UT-wise?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a) & (b): As  per  World  Health  Organisation  (WHO)  Neglected  Tropical  Diseases (NTDs) Road map, the target set for  Kala-azar  (KA)  elimination  is  2030,  however,  the Government of India has set the elimination target of 2023. Out of 633 Kala-azar endemic blocks, 625 blocks (98.7%) have achieved the elimination target by 2021.

- (c):  Year-wise, State-wise Kala-azar cases reported in last three years and the current year are at Annexure-1 .
- (d):  The  following  remedial  steps  have  been  taken  for  Kala-azar  elimination  in  the  last three years and the current year:
- i. National Center for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC) provides Technical Guidelines  for  surveillance,  case  management,  vector  control  measures,  outbreak management etc. in States.
- ii. High priority districts, blocks and villages have been identified in all four Kala-azar endemic states, wherein intensified monitoring is done for 100% implementation of programme activities.
- iii. Assessment  by  independent subject matter experts of Kala-azar progress and challenges has been done in 2019 and 2021.
- iv. Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare has reviewed Vector Borne Diseases including  Kala-azar  situation  and  preparedness  of  13  States/UTs  on  8th  July,  2022 with State Health Ministers.
- v. Construction of pucca houses in Kala-azar affected villages is done on priority under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Gramin (PMAY-G).
- vi. Under National Health Mission (NHM), budgetary support is provided to States for Kala-azar  elimination  i.e.  operational  cost  for  Indoor  Residual  Spray  (IRS),  drugs, diagnostics,  insecticides,  material  and  equipment  etc.  This  also  includes  wage  loss incentive  to  Post  Kala-azar  Dermal  Leishmaniasis  (PKDL)  cases  of  Rs  4000/-,  and incentive to ASHA worker for diagnosis and ensuring complete treatment of Rs 500/per Kala-azar case. Provision of sub-national level disease elimination achievement/ sustenance awards (State/District/Block) has been made.
- vii. States of Bihar and Jharkhand have made provision for wage loss incentive to Kalaazar (KA) patients at the rate of Rs 6600/- per KA case.

(e):  State-wise  Central  releases  and  expenditure  under  National  Vector  Borne  Disease Control  Programme  (NVBDCP)  for  six  vector  borne  diseases  (including  Kala-azar)  under NHM during  the  last  three  years  for  four  KA  endemic  States  are  given  in Annexure-2 . Allocation  under  NHM  pools  have  been  merged  from  the  Financial  Year  2022-23  and therefore, disease-wise release and expenditure is not indicated.

## Annexure-1

Year-wise, State-wise Kala-azar cases reported in last three years and the current year

| State                        |   2019 |   2020 |   2021 |   2022 (upto June) |
|------------------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------------------|
| Bihar                        |   2537 |   1502 |    967 |                353 |
| Jharkhand                    |    544 |    431 |    279 |                 98 |
| West Bengal                  |     87 |     60 |     59 |                 14 |
| Uttar Pradesh                |     97 |     55 |     51 |                 13 |
| Other states (Only sporadic) |      4 |      4 |      1 |                  1 |

## Annexure-2

State-wise  Central  releases  and  expenditure  under  National  Vector  Borne  Disease  Control Programme (NVBDCP) for six vector borne diseases (including Kala-azar) under National Health Mission (NHM) during the last three years for four KA endemic States

(Rs. In crores)

|       |               | 2019-20         | 2019-20   | 2020-21         | 2020-21   | 2021-22         | 2021-22   |
|-------|---------------|-----------------|-----------|-----------------|-----------|-----------------|-----------|
| S.No. | State         | Central Release | Exp       | Central Release | Exp       | Central Release | Exp       |
| 1     | Bihar         | 3.00            | 84.18     | 40.23           | 80.80     | 5.70            | 14.68     |
| 2     | Jharkhand     | 34.82           | 22.56     | 17.63           | 35.32     | 124.57          | 146.61    |
| 3     | Uttar Pradesh | 27.25           | 32.27     | 39.14           | 40.64     | 32.20           | 27.81     |
| 4     | West Bengal   | 6.88            | 14.87     | 13.71           | 17.63     | 12.49           | 24.02     |

Note:  Expenditure includes expenditure against Central Release, State Release and unspent balances at the beginning of the year. Expenditure is as per available Financial Management Reports submitted by the States/UTs. It is updated upto 31.03.2022 and is provisional.

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