NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASE (NTD)

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Recently, the Maharashtra government has started a drug administration drive for the elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) and become the first State in the country to resume giving rounds of the drug after the second wave of Covid-19.

Important points:

• LF, commonly known as elephantiasis and is considered as a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) It is the second most disabling disease after mental health.
• It impairs the lymphatic system and can lead to the abnormal enlargement of body parts, causing pain, severe disability and social stigma.
• The lymphatic system is a network of vessels and specialized tissues that are essential to maintaining the overall fluid balance and health of organs and limbs and, importantly, are a major component of the body’s immune defense system.

Lymphatic filariasis is a vector-borne disease, caused by infection with parasites classified as nematodes (roundworms) of the family Filarioidea. There are 3 types of thread-like filarial worms which causes lymphatic filariasis:

1. Wuchereria Bancrofti is responsible for 90% of the cases.
2. Brugia Malayi causes most of the remainder of the cases.
3. Brugia Timori also causes the disease.

Drug Treatment:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends three drug treatments to accelerate the global elimination of lymphatic filariasis.
• The treatment, known as IDA, involves a combination of ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine citrate and albendazole.
• 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.

Scenario in India:

• Lymphatic filariasis poses a grave threat to India. An estimated 650 million Indians across 21 states and union territories are at risk of lymphatic filariasis.
• Over 40% of worldwide cases are found in India.
• 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 (triple drug therapy) in a phased manner.

SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT