Dr. Krishna Pandey, Director ICMR-RMRIMS
M.B.B.S, M.D. (General Medicine)
Over last four decades, ICMR-Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences (RMRIMS), Patna has been primarily instrumental in strengthening national kala-azar elimination programme (NKAEP) through multi-disciplinary research support. We have made commendable progress towards elimination of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) , commonly known as kala-azar, at regional and national levels. Successfully conduted clinical drug trials viz. miltefosine, paromomycin, liposomal amphotericin-B, fungisome, amphomul and combination therapy for VL, PKDL and VL-HIV coinfection, and pharmacovigilance of the antileishmanial drugs have strengthened the treatment strategies under elimination program. India has entered into the elimination phase of VL and with sustained support of all stakeholders we shall soon achieve VL elimination. ICMR-RMRIMS, Patna has been a referral centre for diagnosis and clinical management of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) and VL-HIV coinfection.