India targets elimination of visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) as a public health problem by 2030. The agreed elimination criterion at district and sub-district (block) level is:
- A Annual incidence below 1 case per 10 lakh population
- B Annual incidence below 1 case per 10,000 population ✓
- C Zero deaths due to kala-azar for three consecutive years
- D Spleen rate below 1% in all surveyed villages
Correct answer: B. Annual incidence below 1 case per 10,000 population
Explanation
The kala-azar elimination benchmark adopted jointly by India, Bangladesh and Nepal is an annual incidence of less than 1 case per 10,000 population sustained at district and sub-district levels, along with zero deaths. Note the contrast with the TB elimination definition, which uses less than 1 case per lakh population, a common source of confusion between programmes. Spleen rate is a survey indicator for endemicity mapping, not the elimination criterion.
Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.