The control of leishmaniasis, part I: Unveiling challenges and advances in diagnosis.

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease that is ranked next to malaria as the deadliest protozoan disease. It is induced by an intracellular, protozoan “Leishmania”, belonging to the family Trypanosomatidae. It affects the poorest populations in over 90 countries throughout Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Central and South America. It represents a significant obstacle toward the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 in various countries. The presence of multiple clinical forms, socioeconomic factors, several Leishmania species, various vector species, and complex life cycle, marks leishmaniasis as sophisticated. These represent major obstacles impeding the implementation of control measures and hindering the efficiency of preventive approaches. Herein, there are brief hints about such challenges. Misdiagnosis, cost of anti-leishmanial drugs, drugs’ side effects, parasite-drug resistance are the top challenges facing the disease control. As well, the advances in different diagnostic methods are demonstrated as a vital initial step towards effective control. They involve molecular techniques, proteomic-based approaches, immunological assays, and nano-based tools.