Sitamarhi: A Global Model for Kala-azar Eradication Under Dr. Ravindra Kumar Yadav's Leadership

• Sitamarhi, once severely affected by Kala-azar with 1299 cases and 12 deaths in 2011, has transformed into a global model for its eradication.
• Under Dr. Ravindra Kumar Yadav's leadership, treatment evolved from painful injections to simpler oral medications and single-dose Liposomal Amphotericin-B, improving patient acceptance.
• Administrative commitment, coordinated efforts from various departments, and community involvement, including ASHA workers and children, turned the program into a public movement.
• Active Case Detection (ACD) campaigns and robust surveillance identified and treated hidden cases, leading to no Kala-azar deaths since 2014.
• Sitamarhi achieved the elimination target of less than one case per 10,000 population by 2018, with only four cases recorded in 2024-25, and its innovative spraying pump storage model was adopted nationally.

Why It Matters: Sitamarhi's successful Kala-azar eradication, led by Dr. Ravindra Kumar Yadav, is a global health model.