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 13/03/200-  A relentless Kalazaar outbreak in Northern Kenya has over the past one decade claimed hundreds of young children under the age of ten years.

Kalazar is another name for the disease more commonly known as Leishmaniasis.  

The Kenyan Government and the World Health Organization (WHO) have revealed a shocking statistics of how the killer disease have wiped generations of children dating back to 1935.  

A forum to train health workers on the management of the disease at Wajir town yesterday was told the disease is alarming particularly in Wajir and Isiolo districts which have been hit hard in the past three years.    

Kalazaar is an infectious killer protozoan disease transmitted by parasites- insects called sandfly that lives in anthills a common feature in the region.  

Darkening of the skin, mostly face and hands, and at times abdominal pain are the common symptoms.

The liver and spleen elongates and in children it may lead to jaundice or even death.  

In 2003 six children succumbed to the same disease while in 2006 over 10 children from Merti Division on the Wajir -Isiolo districts border.

About 400 cases of Kalazar were last year alone diagnosed of the disease with about 30 deaths reported during the same year.  

In the past few weeks alone another 60 children were admitted and two of them succumbed to the malevolent disease.  

The ministry of health and WHO are now concerting efforts to mitigate what they called Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) of the times.  

“We have been seeing re-emergence of the disease in the past few years” Dr Guracha Argata of WHO’s Garissa Field Office told Africa Science News Service.

The parasite resides in the bone marrow, liver and spleen. Doctors said lack of trained health personnel in the impoverished region is a key factor to curb the menace.    

The treatment of the disease can last for 1-3 months and the parasite can live in the body for more than two years.  

Under a strict monitoring by doctors, a patient gets injections- pentamidine, amphotericin or can take tablets mostly Milterfosine.  

“More attention and resources need to be directed to this region in order to avert death of young children” said Dr. Kiluva Stephen Isiolo District Medical Officer of Health.  

The Kalazar Project is run by Médecins Sans Frontières ( MSF-Switzerland) with funding from DFID, set up in 2006 in the Pokot District of North Western Kenya, close to the border with Uganda.   Mundane health facilities at Isiolo district hospital have rendered most children to go with out specialized treatment, becoming bedridden and eventually dying of the disease.  

“The current trend is worrisome, we need to handle it” said Dr. Stephen.  

According to Medical officials Kalazaar is now getting endemic in over five districts in Northern Kenya .  

Locals are urged to erect sleeping net over their beds at night while sleeping.