| REVIEW ARTICLES |
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| Year : 2005 | Volume
: 21
| Issue : 1 | Page : 9-11 |
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Global alliance for the elimination of lymphatic filariasis
S Das
Davis School of Medicine, University of California, Lafayette, CA, USA
Correspondence Address:
S Das
1890, Via Ferrari,Lafayette, CA - 94549
USA
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0970-1591.19543
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Chronic filarial disease with lymphedema is affecting about 15 million individuals worldwide, India alone accounts for 38% of the total disease. The disease causes physical disability, psychological despair, social isolation, and loss of economic productivity to the tune of about 1.5 billion dollars annually in India alone. The global elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) programme has been launched in many countries. It was felt that LF, though not usually deadly, is a prime disabler both of people and of progress. Yet it is a disease that is curable with the right resources and political will. Thus under the leadership of the World Health Organization (WHO) emerged the global alliance in the year 2000 for the elimination of lymphatic filariasis (GAELF). The goal of the alliance was set to eliminate LF as a public health menace by 2020. Their strategy is, the entire population at risk in the endemic areas is to be treated with annual single dose of filaricidal drug combination of albendazole and DEC for 4-5 years to cover the life span of the adult filarial worms. |
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