Strengthening the assessment of lymphatic filariasis transmission and documenting the achievement of elimination

Overview

 Dr Dirk Engels opened the meeting by asking participants to examine the performance of the new diagnostic test for the Wuchereria bancrofti antigen (the Alere Filariasis Test Strip, manufactured by Alere, Scarborough, ME, United States). He requested that the meeting decide whether guidance from the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) on mapping, monitoring and stopping mass drug administration (MDA) would need to change if the new test were implemented.

The meeting had three objectives:

• to recommend new or modified strategies to supplement mapping and delineate the endemicity of lymphatic filariasis (LF);
• to develop recommendations on the programmatic use of the new Alere Filariasis Test Strip (FTS) if necessary, as determined by the presentation and discussion of results of the comparative studies; and
• to determine what information should be included in the template for a dossier to be used to document the achievement of elimination targets.