Kala-azar elimination in India: reflections on success and sustainability.

The incidence and mortality of kala-azar (KA, visceral leishmaniasis) in India have fallen drastically in the past few years, and in 2023 the reported KA incidence reached the threshold for elimination as a public health problem (<1 case/10 000 of population at subdistrict level). One of the strategies adopted by India's kala-azar elimination program (KAEP) was the regular independent assessment of the program implementation by teams of experts. We present the findings of assessments undertaken in 2019, 2021 and 2023, when the KAEP was in the last mile of elimination.