Ramaiah KD, Ottesen EA, et al.
PLoS neglected tropical diseases. Date of publication 2014 Nov 20;volume 8(11):e3319.
1. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2014 Nov 20;8(11):e3319. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003319.
eCollection 2014 Nov.
Progress and impact of 13 years of the global programme to eliminate lymphatic
filariasis on reducing the burden of filarial disease.
Ramaiah KD(1), Ottesen EA(2).
Author information:
(1)Consultant on Lymphatic Filariasis, Tagore Nagar, Pondicherry, India.
(2)Neglected Tropical Disease Support Center, The Task Force for Global Health,
Decatur, Georgia, United States of America; ENVISION Project, RTI International,
Washington, D.C., United States of America.
BACKGROUND: A Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis was launched in
2000, with mass drug administration (MDA) as the core strategy of the programme.
After completing 13 years of operations through 2012 and with MDA in place in 55
of 73 endemic countries, the impact of the MDA programme on microfilaraemia,
hydrocele and lymphedema is in need of being assessed.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: During 2000-2012, the MDA programme made
remarkable achievements - a total of 6.37 billion treatments were offered and an
estimated 4.45 billion treatments were consumed by the population living in
endemic areas. Using a model based on empirical observations of the effects of
treatment on clinical manifestations, it is estimated that 96.71 million LF
cases, including 79.20 million microfilaria carriers, 18.73 million hydrocele
cases and a minimum of 5.49 million lymphedema cases have been prevented or cured
during this period. Consequently, the global prevalence of LF is calculated to
have fallen by 59%, from 3.55% to 1.47%. The fall was highest for microfilaraemia
prevalence (68%), followed by 49% in hydrocele prevalence and 25% in lymphedema
prevalence. It is estimated that, currently, i.e. after 13 years of the MDA
programme, there are still an estimated 67.88 million LF cases that include 36.45
million microfilaria carriers, 19.43 million hydrocele cases and 16.68 million
lymphedema cases.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The MDA programme has resulted in significant reduction
of the LF burden. Extension of MDA to all at-risk countries and to all regions
within those countries where MDA has not yet reached 100% geographic coverage is
imperative to further reduce the number of microfilaraemia and chronic disease
cases and to reach the global target of interrupting transmission of LF by 2020.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003319
PMCID: PMC4239120
PMID: 25412180 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
