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The National Filaria Control Program (NFCP) is a comprehensive, country-wide effort to eliminate filarial infection and reduce the spread of lymphatic filariasis (LF). The NFCP was first launched in 1997 to eliminate LF as a public health problem by 2020. The NFCP is based on the principle of mass drug administration (MDA). All individuals living in areas endemic to LF are treated with an annual dose of antifilarial medication. The program is carried out via over 20,000 health workers who ensure that everyone in the target population gets their appropriate medication.
What are Filaria and its symptoms
Filaria is a parasitic worm that lives in the body’s lymphatic system. It can cause lymphatic filariasis, which can lead to swelling in the arms, legs, and scrotum. Humans can get filaria by being bitten by a mosquito that has been infected with the parasite. The worm then migrates to the lymphatic system, where it can grow and reproduce.
Lymphatic filariasis can cause a range of symptoms, including:
– Swelling in the arms, legs, or scrotum
– Pain and heaviness in the affected limbs
– Fever
– Skin rashes
– Enlarged lymph nodes
If left untreated, lymphatic filariasis can lead to serious complications, such as:
– Elephantiasis (swelling of the arms, legs, or scrotum to several times their normal size)
– Chronic lymphedema (build-up of fluid in the tissues)
– Genital deformities
– Kidney damage
Lymphatic filariasis is a preventable disease. It can be controlled through mass drug administration, which involves providing affected communities with annual treatments of antiparasitic medications. Mosquito control measures, such as using insecticide-treated bed nets and spraying insecticides in homes and other areas where mosquitoes breed, can also help prevent the spread of filaria.
NFCP Activities
In addition to MDA, the NFCP also includes several other activities, such as health education and community mobilisation, to raise awareness of LF and promote its prevention. The program has been highly successful in reducing the prevalence of LF, and it is estimated that over 90 million people have been treated through the NFCP since its inception. The NFCP is an important part of the global effort to eliminate LF, and its success serves as a model for other disease control programs. The National Filaria Control Program (NFCP) was first launched in 1997 to eliminate LF as a public health problem by 2020.
India’s Initiative
The Government launched the Accelerated Plan for Lymphatic Filarial Elimination (APELF) in 2018 as part of its campaign to get rid of the disease.
It has utilised a twin pillar approach – prevention through Mass Drug Administration (MDA) using a combination of two ant-filarial medicines (DEC and Albendazole) together with Morbidity Management and Disability Prevention services – to assist people who are suffering from filariasis.
The Australian government has committed to scaling up the use of Triple Drug Therapy (IDA) in a phased approach, beginning in December 2019.
Global Programme to Eradicate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF)
In 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) began its Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF), later renamed the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
From 2000 to 2004, MDA was implemented in Vanuatu with DEC and Albendazole. Over the 5-year study period, average MDA coverage ranged from 75.5 to 81.5 per cent. How effectively MDA is implemented on the ground may be a part of its success. Factors include disseminating culturally appropriate, evidence-based community awareness methods, trust development, adequate training, easy access to treatment via several channels, and high-quality data collection and analysis. The following were all the factors discovered to influence MDA coverage in Vanuatu:
Before MDA, drug advertisements and pamphlets with simple, evident instructions on the significance of taking medicine, adverse effects, and the illness and transmission were used.
MDA was deployed by health workers with established relationships with their communities who ensured follow-up on non-treated cases.
They worked with community leaders to create culturally appropriate solutions that would encourage medication compliance.
Impact of the Lymphatic Filariasis Control Program towards the elimination of filariasis in Vanuatu
If the virus had been stopped in Vanuatu, one would expect the age-specific curve to shift to the right, with persons infected some time ago continuing to shed virus and no new infections in young people. However, there were just a few positives to compare age groups against in the C survey results.
Conclusion
Even though it missed its deadline, the LFCP and MDA coverage report demonstrates that the effort effectively reduced prevalence in 2005/2006. More studies of areas with persistent transmission after MDA may benefit other nations in the area and be published separately from this paper. From 1997–to 2006, the LF Control Program significantly contributed to LF eradication. This paper demonstrated that MDA effectively reduced Vanuatu’s LF antigen prevalence to less than 1% in 2006. Following the completion of the Manifesto for Action, a post-MDA surveillance period has begun.
