{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T11:28:34Z","timestamp":1787225314196,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":10,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,8]],"date-time":"2026-01-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767830400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosntds.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS Negl Trop Dis"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) remains one of the most neglected public-health challenges in the Horn of Africa. This editorial highlights the ecological, social, and political determinants driving VL persistence across the Somali Peninsula, including Somalia, the Somali Region of Ethiopia, and northeastern Kenya. It synthesises evidence on vector ecology, diagnostic and treatment gaps, and the humanitarian dimensions of disease vulnerability, arguing for a One Health, primary-care-anchored approach to prevention and control. The paper calls for renewed national commitment, regional coordination, and donor alignment to integrate VL into health-system-strengthening and universal health coverage agendas in fragile settings.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0013905","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,8]],"date-time":"2026-01-08T18:25:40Z","timestamp":1767896740000},"page":"e0013905","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pntd.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Endemic and invisible: Visceral Leishmaniasis a One Health imperative in the Somali\u2019s fragile health landscape"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1810-8170","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Hassan Sh. Abdirahman","family":"Elmi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohamoud","family":"Abdulahi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdirashid Abdirahman","family":"Hussein","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohamoud","family":"Ahmed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Khadra","family":"Jama-Alol","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Halima","family":"Mohamed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"pntd.0013905.ref001","volume-title":"Leishmaniasis: epidemiology and control in the horn of Africa","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2022"},{"issue":"6","key":"pntd.0013905.ref002","first-page":"1908","article-title":"Visceral leishmaniasis in East Africa: epidemiology and control perspectives","volume":"104","author":"A Hailu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Am J Trop Med Hyg"},{"key":"pntd.0013905.ref003","volume-title":"Somalia One Health Strategy 2023\u20132035","author":"Federal Ministry of Health S","year":"2023"},{"issue":"2","key":"pntd.0013905.ref004","article-title":"Transmission and control of zoonotic leishmaniasis: a One Health perspective","volume":"23","author":"RJ Quinnell","year":"2023","journal-title":"Lancet Infect Dis"},{"key":"pntd.0013905.ref005","volume-title":"Integrated disease surveillance and response technical guidelines: Somalia adaptation","author":"WHO Regional Office for Africa","year":"2022"},{"issue":"9","key":"pntd.0013905.ref006","article-title":"Diagnostic and clinical features of kala-azar in East Africa","volume":"14","author":"KM Abass","year":"2020","journal-title":"PLoS Negl Trop Dis"},{"issue":"5","key":"pntd.0013905.ref007","first-page":"293","article-title":"Visceral leishmaniasis: diagnosis, treatment, and control","volume":"19","author":"F Chappuis","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nat Rev Microbiol"},{"key":"pntd.0013905.ref008","volume-title":"Health and nutrition assessment of displacement sites in somalia","author":"UNHCR","year":"2023"},{"issue":"4","key":"pntd.0013905.ref009","article-title":"Humanitarian crises and neglected tropical diseases: surveillance implications","volume":"7","author":"FA Osei","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMJ Glob Health"},{"issue":"1","key":"pntd.0013905.ref010","first-page":"301","article-title":"Leishmania donovani transmission dynamics in East African pastoral settings","volume":"16","author":"T Kifleyohannes","year":"2023","journal-title":"Parasit Vectors"}],"container-title":["PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pntd.0013905","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,8]],"date-time":"2026-01-08T18:25:41Z","timestamp":1767896741000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pntd.0013905"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Valdir Sabbaga","family":"Amato","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,8]]},"references-count":10,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,8]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pntd.0013905","relation":{},"ISSN":["1935-2735"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1935-2735","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,8]]}}}