•Kala-Azar: India is on the verge of eliminating kala-azar as a public health issue, aiming for WHO certification. Cases have been reduced to under one per 10,000 for two consecutive years.
•In 2023, India reported 595 cases and four deaths; in the current year, 339 cases and one death have been recorded.
•Trachoma: India has successfully eliminated bacterial eye infection trachoma, which was a leading cause of blindness.
•Commonalities: Both are Neglected Tropical Diseases linked to poverty and poor sanitation Public health campaigns addressing social factors, income, nutrition, and access to healthcare are crucial.
•Elimination: It means maintaining cases below a specific limit, it ceasing to be a public health problem
•Eradication: It means complete removal of the disease; no further cases.
•No effective vaccines: Both kala-azar and trachoma lack effective vaccines, complicating elimination efforts.
