The World Health Organization (WHO) has published data showing that a total of 465.4 million people were treated for lymphatic filariasis1 during 2017 in 37 countries that implemented WHO-recommended large-scale treatment (mass drug administration; MDA) of populations at risk of the disease.
Last year, WHO published a new guideline on alternative MDA regimens and recommended a 3-drug regimen (known as IDA2) to accelerate the elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem. Since its release, 4 countries3, including Samoa, have initiated plans to implement IDA in 2018; an additional 10 countries plan to introduce IDA in 2019.
Expansion of elimination programmes and eventual uptake of IDA by countries mean that millions of people will no longer require treatment4 for this debilitating neglected tropical disease. Already in 2017, 554 million persons no longer required large-scale treatment, worldwide.
Since 2000, a cumulative total of 7.1 billion treatments have been delivered to more than 890 million people at least once. Regional progress is summarized below.
- See Global programme to eliminate lymphatic filariasis: progress report, 2017
Weekly epidemiological record, 2 November 2018
African Region
In 2017, 343.3 million people in 32 countries were considered to require MDA. Based on data reported from 23 countries, 202.1 million people were reported to be treated. The overall coverage for the Region stands at 59%, the highest among the regions in 2017. Togo remains the example of success having been acknowledged for eliminating LF as a public health problem in 2016.
The population requiring MDA has decreased by 115.6 million, representing a 25% reduction.
Region of the Americas
While no country in the Americas has achieved the criteria of elimination as a public health problem, the region has made significant progress in reducing LF infection. As of 2017, 12.9 million people no longer required MDA, a 67% reduction. Brazil is the first country in the Region to stop MDA nationally.
Eastern Mediterranean Region
Egypt is the first country in the Region to receive acknowledgement of having achieved the criteria for elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem.
The population requiring MDA has decreased by 2.9 million, representing a 23% reduction.
South-East Asia Region
In 2017, Thailand became the third country in the Region acknowledged to have achieved the criteria for elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem, joining Maldives and Sri Lanka.
MDA was still required for 516.4 million people in 5 of the 9 endemic countries. The total population requiring MDA in the Region has decreased by 380.3 million, representing a 42% reduction.
Western Pacific Region
Nine of the 22 LF endemic countries in the Region have been acknowledged for eliminating LF as a public health problem. The total population requiring MDA has decreased by 42.4 million, representing a 75% reduction.
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1 Lymphatic filariasis, an infection transmitted to humans by mosquitoes, causes abnormal enlargement of limbs and genitals from adult worms inhabiting and reproducing in the lymphatic system.
2 IDA involves a combination of ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC) and albendazole and is recommended annually in settings where its use is expected to have the greatest impact.
3 Kenya, Papua New Guinea, American Samoa and Samoa.
4 MDA (large-scale treatment) is no longer required when the prevalence of infection is reduced to such low levels that transmission is no longer sustainable, preventing new infections.