The Uttar Pradesh government will launch Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign on February 10 across 14 districts in the state as part of the national elimination programme.

The government has fixed a target to administer preventive medicines to approximately 11 million people to protect them from Lymphatic Filariasis.

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The Department of Medical and Health Services, Uttar Pradesh, organised a workshop in coordination with Global Health Strategies on Saturday to discuss the active and vital role of the media in the Filaria Elimination Programme.

Dr R P Singh Suman, Director General of the Medical and Health Services, announced that the Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign will be launched in 45 identified blocks across 14 districts in the state on February 10.

Two drugs — DEC and Albendazole — will be administered in 19 blocks across eight districts, including Ballia (Nagra and Pandah blocks), Hamirpur (Hamirpur and Maudaha blocks), Jalaun (Dakore block), Jaunpur (Badlapur block), Pilibhit (Bilsanda and Puranpur blocks), Shahjahanpur (Bhawalkheda, Jalalabad, Tilhar, Mirzapur, and Shahjahanpur City blocks), Sonbhadra (Chatra, Duddhi, Kakrahi, and Ghorawal blocks), and Chitrakoot (CHC Mau and Ramnagar blocks).

Additionally, three drugs — DEC, Albendazole, and Ivermectin — will be administered as part of the MDA campaign in 26 blocks of six districts, including Lucknow (Gosainganj block), Unnao (Auras, Achalganj, Bangarmau, Bichhiya, Fatehpur Chaurasi, and Hasanganj blocks), Amethi (Jamo and Musafirkhana blocks), Bareilly (Bhamora, Faridpur, and Kyara blocks), Prayagraj (Handia, Kaudihar, Koraon, Pratappur, and Saidabad blocks), and Barabanki (Dariyabad, Deva, Fatehpur, Jatabarouli, Banikoder, Ramnagar, Harkh, Siddhaur, and urban Barabanki blocks).

To ensure community protection from filariasis or elephantiasis, the MDA programme will strictly enforce direct supervision of anti-filariasis drug consumption by healthcare workers. No drugs will be distributed. Dr Suman emphasised that if all individuals in the community consume anti-filarial drugs once a year for five consecutive years, they will achieve lifelong protection from the disease.

Dr A K Choudhary, Additional Director, Malaria & VBD, Uttar Pradesh, stated that children under two years of age, pregnant women, and critically ill individuals should not consume these drugs during the MDA campaign. Additionally, Albendazole tablets must be chewed before swallowing. He further informed that for the MDA programme starting on February 10, a total of 8,816 teams have been formed to ensure the administration of anti-filarial drugs to approximately 11 million eligible beneficiaries under the supervision of healthcare workers.

Dr Choudhary also mentioned that Morbidity Management and Disability Prevention (MMDP) measures are in place to provide proper care to individuals suffering from lymphedema and to ensure appropriate treatment for hydrocele patients. He assured that anti-filarial drugs are completely safe and should be consumed even by individuals with high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, or other common illnesses. There are no side effects for healthy individuals. However, if someone experiences vomiting, dizziness, itching, or nausea after consuming the medicine, it is a positive sign indicating the presence of filarial parasites in their body, which are dying due to the medication. Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) will be deployed at every block to address any adverse reactions reported by beneficiaries.

Dr Madhu Gairola, Director of Communicable Diseases, Uttar Pradesh, stressed that lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) is a serious public health issue caused by mosquito bites.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), lymphatic filariasis is one of the leading causes of long-term disability worldwide. The infection, usually acquired in childhood, damages the lymphatic system, leading to abnormal swelling of body parts if not treated. Chronic complications of filariasis include:
– Hydrocele (swelling of the scrotum)

– Lymphedema (swelling of limbs)

– Chyluria (milky-white urine due to lymphatic fluid leakage)