World Health Organization Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis: halfway towards eliminating lymphatic filariasis
24 January 2011 | Geneva
The campaign to eliminate lymphatic filariasis is considered one of the most rapidly expanding global health programmes in the history of public health.
The Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) is part of a comprehensive programme of efforts to control neglected tropical diseases, in which preventive chemotherapy, vector control and morbidity management are increasingly integrated and delivered as multi-intervention packages at the global, national and local levels.
Play now audio summary–Lymphatic filariasis 2011
00:05:24 [mp3 3,01Mb]
“…by preventing new [lymphatic filariasis] infections and the worsening of the clinical manifestations, over $24 billion dollars has been saved thus far through preventing loss of labour and decreasing health care costs”.
Molly Brady, Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, Geneva, Switzerland
Almost 3 billion doses of medicines have been delivered to a cumulative target population of 845 million between 2000 and 2009.
Approximately 40 million people suffer from the stigmatizing and disabling clinical manifestations of the disease, including 15 million who have lymphoedema (elephantiasis) and 25 million men who have urogenital swelling, principally scrotal hydrocele.
The first 10 years of GPELF has seen extraordinary growth and the partnerships that made this growth possible will sustain the programme during the coming decade. WHO hopes to eliminate lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem by 2020.
Lymphatic filariasis Website
Lymphatic filariasis WHA Resolution
WHA50.29 | French | Spanish