Why in News?

• The Union Health Minister inaugurates National Symposium on the theme ‘United to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis’.

Highlights:

• On the occasion, the minister signed the ‘Call to Action to eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis by 2021’.
• Since the launch of the Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) by the World Health Organization in 2000, endemic countries across the world including India have adopted a twin pillar strategy:
• Prevention through Mass Drug Administration (MDA) using combination of 2 anti-filarial drugs (DEC and Albendazole)
• Providing Morbidity Management and Disability Prevention (MMDP) services to those affected by the disease
• The Government launched the Accelerated Plan for Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis (APELF) in 2018.
• As per this plan, over 4 billion treatments have been availed by over 630 million target population in endemic districts.
• India has made steady progress in this regard by reducing the infection levels in the community below the threshold level in 96 districts, which accounts for nearly 37% of the total districts.
• The remaining 160 districts pose a challenge.
• Actual consumption of medicines remains low due to low awareness about the benefits of medicines at the community-level leading to non-adherence to treatment.