Health Minister Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete.

The national prevalence rate of Lymphatic Filariasis dropped from 16 per cent to nine percent from 2002 to 2007.

Health Minister Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete says mass drug administration is one of the program’s main strategic pillars in the interruption of Lymphatic Filariasis transmission.

He says in 2010, a divisional-specific strategy was implemented targeting specific issues within the four divisions.

Waqainabete says the Eastern Division has yet to start with its first transmission assessment survey due to the high prevalence rate.

He said the division was scheduled for two rounds of mass drug administration between 2020 and 2021.

This was due to the 2019 survey results of 7.30 percent prevalence.

Waqainabte says the first round was implemented in 2020, and the second round was scheduled for 2021, however, due to COVID19 restrictions, this exercise would be implemented in August this year.

He adds that the Western and Central Division prevalence rates of lymphatic filariasis transmission are less than one percent.

The minister says the transmission assessment survey conducted in 2018 recorded more than one percent of the prevalence rate in the Northern Division.

Waqainabete says with COVID19 restrictions now being lifted and good coverage of the COVID 19 vaccination rate, the Lymphatic Filaris program has finally been able to roll out the second round of MDA in the coming days.

According to the World Health Organization, Lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis, is a neglected tropical disease. Infection occurs when filarial parasites are transmitted to humans through mosquitoes.