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		Fact sheet No 116: The Leishmaniases and Leishmania/HIV Co-Infections - Revised May 2000 (WHO, 2000, 4 p.)
			(introduction...)
			Increased Prevalence
			Geographic Distribution
			Leishmania/HIV Co-infection
			Areas of Co-infection
			Specific Problems
			Epidemiological Changes
			The World Health Organization Response

Increased Prevalence

· Since 1993, regions that are Leishmania-endemic have expanded significantly, accompanied by a sharp increase in the number of recorded cases of the disease.
· The geographic spread is due to factors related mostly to development. These include massive rural-urban migration and agro-industrial projects that bring non-immune urban dwellers into endemic rural areas. Man-made projects with environmental impact, like dams, irrigation systems and wells, as well as deforestation, also contribute to the spread of leishmaniasis.
· AIDS and other immunosuppressive conditions increase the risk of Leishmania-infected people developing visceral illness. In certain areas of the world the risk of co-infection with HIV is rising due to epidemiological changes.