Elephantiasis or Lymphatic Filariasis (LF)

13-Feb-2023: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare launches nationwide Sarva Dawa Sevan or Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (LF)

Nationwide Mass Drug Administration Campaign was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. India aims to eliminate filariasis by 2027, three years ahead of the global target. High-burdened areas are Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

Filariasis

Parasitic infection caused by microscopic, thread-like worms.
Spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes.
Affects millions of people in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.

Causes and Transmission

Caused by nematodes (roundworms) of the family Filariodidea.
3 types of filarial worms: Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, and Brugia timori.

Symptoms

Asymptomatic, acute, and chronic conditions.
Chronic conditions lead to lymphoedema, elephantiasis, and hydrocele.

Treatment

WHO recommends three drug treatments to accelerate global elimination of lymphatic filariasis.
Treatment known as IDA involves a combination of ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine citrate, and albendazole.
Plan involves administering drugs for two consecutive years.
Adult worm has a life of only four years and dies a natural death without causing harm to the person.

2019

30-Oct-2019: National Symposium on the theme ‘United to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis’

“Planning, commitment, vision, societal involvement and past experiences can help us achieve our goal of eliminating Lymphatic Filariasis from the country by 2021” said Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare as he inaugurated the day long National Symposium on the theme ‘United to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis’.

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a group of debilitating infectious diseases that impact over 1.5 billion people globally and hold back the poorest communities from reaching their full potential. India is committed to eliminate two of these NTDs - Lymphatic Filariasis (Hathipaon) and Visceral Leishmaniases (Kala-Azar) that put the future of our children at high risk. All health partners and stakeholders need to actively work on cross-sector collaboration because to tackle NTDs, true partnerships are essential. India’s achievements so far have been significant, and this is an opportune time for us to consolidate the successes and finish the job of achieving LF elimination by 2021.

Since the launch of the Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) by the World Health Organization in 2000, endemic countries across the world including India have adopted a twin pillar strategy - prevention through Mass Drug Administration (MDA) using combination of 2 anti-filarial drugs (DEC and Albendazole), and, providing Morbidity Management and Disability Prevention (MMDP) services to those affected by the disease. Renewing India’s commitment towards elimination, the Government launched the Accelerated Plan for Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis (APELF) in 2018, and as part of intensifying efforts towards elimination later rolled out IDA treatment in a phased manner. By the end of February 2019, India successfully rolled out IDA across 4 districts including Arwal in Bihar (20 December 2018), Simdega in Jharkhand (10 January 2019), Nagpur in Maharashtra (20 January 2019) and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh (20 February 2019). A total of 8.07 million people out of 10.7 million vulnerable people (75.4%) were benefitted with the IDA medicines.

Also present at the event were Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, Senior Officers of MoHFW, ICMR, NITI Aayog and UN Organisations.

21-Jan-2019: Triple drug therapy for lymphatic filariasis launched

A pilot project to administer triple drug therapy with the long term aim of eradicating lymphatic filariasis was launched. This disease is commonly known as elephantiasis due to abnormally huge swelling it causes in patient’s feet.

Nagpur is one of the five districts in the country and only one in Maharashtra where this triple drug therapy campaign is being launched.

Members of World Health Organization (WHO) and ministry of health and welfare (MOHFW) reiterated the grave danger lymphatic filariasis poses to India. Dr Rashmi Shukla, WHO India’s national programme officer for neglected tropical disease, said the statistics are overwhelming.

“Over 40% of worldwide cases are found in India and for this we have to work together so that we can achieve the goal of eradicating this disease,” said Dr Shukla. Since 2004, two drug therapy for lymphatic filariasis has been in place but the addition of the third drug now will give a boost to the overall campaign.

The global deadline to eradicate the disease is 2020 and the three drug approach may help us get there. We have missed earlier deadlines of 2015 and 2017, but now this new one seems possible.

The third drug being used in this therapy will help control adult worms of lymphatic filariasis. Micro filariasis, which is produced by adult worms, is the cause of swollen leg. Previously the adult worms were sterilized by drugs and remained inactive for a year. Now that period will increase to two years. The plan is to administer these drugs for two consecutive years. The life of the adult worm is hardly four years, so it would die a natural death without causing any harm to the person.