The Silicon Review ^Asia

RANCHI: The state health department had initiated a programmeto contain the transmission of Lymphatic Filariasis in Simdega district, and it was a success. Following the success, it is set to replicate the model across 16 districts of Jharkhand. The Centre had collaborated with the World Health Organisation to launch the project.

According to reports, Lymphatic Filariasis is endemic in sixteen states and five Union territories including Jharkhand, and there have been several cases of the disfiguring disease totaling to a number of 28,582 cases until December 2018. During the drive, health workers will take up the initiative to administer medicines to people by setting up 35,224 booths across the districts that include Sahebganj,East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum, Chatra, Garhwa, Gumla, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Ranchi, Giridih, Dumka, Godda, Ramgarh, Lohardaga, Khunti and Hazaribag.

Dr V N Khanna, state head of Vector Borne Disease Control Programme said that though they have taken many steps to fight the disease, that’s not enough. The cases of Lymphadenitis and Filarial Hydrocele are in the numbers of 33,000 and 26,000 respectively, and they have operated on just around 3,000 people in the months of January and February. So they are now leading the mass drug administration programme in order to target a major part of the population.The health department has also set a target of administering triple drug therapy on 2.66 crore people during the drive with an aim to make the areas transmission-free.