BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Government has decided to start Mass Drug Administration (MDA) in nine districts in two phases for the elimination of lymphatic filariasis.
The districts to be covered under MDA are Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Khurda, Ganjam, Deogarh, Jagatsinghpur, Nayagarh, Angul and Jharsuguda.
While the anti-filariasis drugs will be administered to all in Cuttack, Dhenkanal and Khurda districts from March 14 to 17, rest six districts will be taken up in August.
Sources said the MDA programme was started in 20 lymphatic filariasis endemic districts in 2004. But it could not be continued with diethylcarbamazine and albendazole together till 2010 in the State as albendazole was banned due to a PIL in the High Court.
However, after several rounds of MDA, the average microfilaria rate in the State has reduced to less than one percent. The decision to resume it was taken after some districts were found with more than one per cent microfilaria rate.
An official said of 20 districts while Malkangiri, Nuapada, Nabarangpur, Gajapati, Kendrapada, Balasore and Puri have qualified first phase Transmission Assessment Survey (TAS) under elimination phase, Koraput has passed the second phase and Jajpur has started the survey since Tuesday.
“Bhadrak and Boudh districts, which are conducting pre-TAS activities are likely to conduct the TAS by end of this year. It is done among primary school children (6-7 years) by using WHO certified and antigen-based rapid test kits,” he said.
The health authorities are worried as Khurda failed during TAS last year while the performance of Ganjam, Nayagarh and Cuttack was not satisfactory. The problem areas in Cuttack, Khurda and Dhenkanal are urban and few blocks where acceptance of MDA is low.
As per the decision was taken after video conferencing with health officials of these districts on Wednesday, the drugs will be administered to all except children under two-years-old, pregnant women and people suffering from chronic ailments. Drugs should not be consumed in empty stomach.
“Apart from MDA, action would be taken in planned manner for hydrocele operation and lymphedema management to alleviate the pain and sufferings of the patients. Every district, where the
programme is on, will have morbidity management clinic at district headquarters hospitals or sub-divisional hospital or endemic CHCs,” the official added.
Once prevalent in urban areas, lymphatic filariasis has now spread to rural areas due to migration, urbanisation and changes in life-style. While global target for its elimination is 2020, India has
set the deadline for 2018, though earlier it was 2015.