Kerala - Kozhikode   

Anti-filaria drive to begin today

KOZHIKODE: District health authorities will conduct an anti-filaria mass drug administration programme from November 15 to 18 as part of a concerted drive to eradicate the disease.

District Medical Officer K. Damodaran said at a press conference here that di-ethyl carbamazine citrate (DEC) and Albendasole tablets for de-worming will be distributed to the general public, as part of the programme, through public health centres (PHC).

National Institute of Communicable Diseases Joint director M.K. Shaukat Ali, Biologist Chandrika and District Filaria Control Officer D. Sasi among others were present at the press conference.

The programme would be three-pronged. Immunisation drive, providing treatment to those affected at their houses and mosquito control would be taken up.

He asserted the tablets were effective and safe, and appealed to the public to take them as the eradication programme can be successful only if there was 85 per cent immunisation among the population.

As of now, the rate of consumption by the public of the preventive therapy was roughly 60 to 70 per cent. As per a survey conducted in 2005-2006, more than 3,000 persons were affected by filarial. Among males, 40 per cent of those affected suffered from hydrocele.

Once infected with filaria, cure was a remote possibility, it was pointed out.

One DEC and Albendasole tablet each will be given to children in the two to five age group, two and three DEC tablets will be given to those in the five-to-15 age group and above 15 years respectively along with one Albendasol tablet, the DMO said.

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