Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is calling on the Pakistan government, donors, and international partners to urgently strengthen funding, procurement, and supply systems to ensure uninterrupted and sustainable access to meglumine antimoniate, the first-line treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis in Pakistan.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) remains a significant yet neglected public health burden in the country. An estimated 600,000 to one million new CL cases occur globally each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), though only around 200,000 cases are reported. In 2023, approximately 91 per cent of reported cases came from just 11 countries, including Pakistan, which recorded an estimated 59,255 cases – with the actual number of cases likely to be much higher. Despite the high disease burden, access to timely and effective treatment remains limited. 

“Meglumine is one of the most efficient treatments against CL, however, it is not produced in Pakistan,” says Dr Abdulwahab Mohamed, MSF Medical Coordinator in Pakistan. “Its supply largely depends on imports, which often arrive irregularly and in insufficient quantities.”

“Since the COVID-19 pandemic, supply disruptions have become more frequent, making sustainability of care a serious challenge,” says Dr Mohamed. “Government facilities often run out of stock before replacements arrive, putting patients at risk of delayed or missed treatment.”