AMU’s premier research institution, Collaborative Research and Training Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases in collaboration with partner institution, KalaCore, has conducted a 4-day in-service training on ‘Leishmaniasis Diagnosis and Management’ from 26th to 29th April, 2017, at College of Medicine and Health Sciences Campus. Click here to see the pictures.

60 health personnel from across Gamo Gofa Zone that includes medical doctors, nurses, health officers and laboratory technicians were in attendance. Of seven trainers, KalaCore, provided two, four were from Arba Minch General Hospital and Dean of College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dr Tamiru Shibru, from AMU imparted the training.

The delegate for Vice President for Research and Community Service, Dr Teklu Wegayehu, addressing trainees informed that Ethiopia is one of six nations that alone bears 90% burden of Visceral Leishmaniasis and one of ten countries that account for 70 to 75% of global incidences. Omo, Segen, Weyto, Dawa and Gelana in Rift Valley are said to be endemic for Cutaneous and Visceral Leishmaniasis, however, Federal Ministry of Health with its NTD Master Plan is doing its best to control and eliminate this health malaise.

CRT-NTD Director, Tigist Gezmu, giving a lowdown on institution said, CRT-NTD, came into being on August 8, 2015, and, for successfully executing three independent monitoring of Mass-Drug Administration nation-wide, has earned great reputation. Apart from research, the Centre has a mandate to produce genuine experts on NTDs across the nation through formal and informal training such as this.

One of the trainers, Dr Alemayehu Shiferaw on life-cycle and pathogenesis of leishmaniasis, said, globally there is a plan to control 17 NTDs, while Ethiopia has identified eight of them, trachoma, onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, soil-transmitted helminthes, schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis, dracunculiasis and podoconiosis.

Elaborating further, he adds some NTDs are treated with Mass-Drug Administration, but visceral leishmaniasis could be life-threatening, if properly not treated. In Ethiopia, leishmanisis is endemic in Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region, Amhara, Tigray, Oromia and Somali regions. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic in 80 districts with 20,000 to 30,000 annual case load and 29 million at risk and visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in 40 districts with 3.2 million at risk.

Dr Tamiru Shibru has dealt with the aspects like signs, symptoms, epidemiology, clinical manifestations, spectrum, concurrent infection, etc. Other associated aspects like laboratory diagnosis, evaluation, HIV/AIDS co-infection, nursing care, complications, practical attachment, reading assignment and post-test were dwelt into followed by group case discussion.

The participating trainees were from Turmi, Demeka, Dilla, Gera, Konso Fassha, Kolme, Abba Roba health centres; Konso Karat, Arba Minch General, Negelle Borena and Chencha hospitals respectively.

(Corporate Communication Directorate)