Global programme to eliminate lymphatic filariasis: Progress report on mass drug administrations in 2005

Overview

Following  the  call  of World  Health  Assembly resolution  WHA50.29 in  1997, governments  of countries endemic for lymphatic filariasis (LF) have  been,  since  2000,  initiating  programmes to  eliminate  the  disease  as  a  public  health problem.  The  Global Programme to  Eliminate Lymphatic  Filariasis  (GPELF)  has  made  rapid progress since then, reaching almost half of the estimated global population at risk by the end of 2005 with mass drug administration (MDA). The  commitment  of LF-endemic  countries  in implementing  activities  towards  the  elimina­tion  goal  is  evidenced by the  fact that  80%  of the  operational  costs  of  MDA  campaigns, including  those  of diethylcarbamazine  citrate (DEC), have been borne from national budgets.