DNDi Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative India Foundation organised training for ASHA workers on Kala Azar awareness

DNDi Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative India Foundation in collaboration with Chapra District Hospital organised a training for ASHA workers in Chapra district hospital on 24 January in 2017. Around 100 ASHAs from various blocks and villages from Chapra district participated in the training.

This training is being conducted to increase awareness among ASHA workers on Kala Azar as Government of India has set the Kala Azar elimination target in 2017 and the role of ASHA workers is crucial in achieving this target.

Dr Shambhu Nath, Deputy Superintendent of Chapra Hospital said, “ASHA workers are the first point of contact between a patient and the public health centre. Their role is very crucial in identifying Kala Azar patients. It is the village ASHA who encounters the patient first and refers the patent to a health centre after identifying the symptom”.

Dr Ravi Shankar from Chapra Hospital sharing his experience of treating Kala Azar patients said, “Kala Azar cases are constantly coming down in Bihar but PKDL cases have started to rise. It is very important to treat PKDL patients if we want to achieve Kala Azar elimination targets. PKDL patients have Kala Azar parasite in their skin and if left untreated, these patients can spread Kala Azar among healthy people”, said Shankar.  

In the training, ASHA workers were explained on various aspects of Kala Azar that included information about how Kala Azar spreads, what are the symptoms, what is the treatment available, how we can prevent the spread of Kala Azar disease in our community etc. A short film on Kala Azar was also shown during the training.