UP Launches Statewide Campaign To Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis By 2027

Lucknow: Aiming to make Uttar Pradesh free from lymphatic filariasis by 2027, the state health department has launched a Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign across 195 blocks in 27 districts. The initiative, which began on Sunday, will continue until August 28, with health workers distributing preventive medicines door-to-door.

The campaign involves multiple departments, including the State Rural Livelihood Mission, Education, Panchayati Raj, and Food & Civil Supplies, working alongside the Health Department to encourage widespread public participation. Public representatives marked the launch by taking the medicine in their respective districts.

According to Mission Director of the National Health Mission, Dr. Pinky Jowel, strict monitoring mechanisms have been set up to ensure effective implementation. Women from self-help groups have been tasked with addressing community concerns about the medicine’s safety and efficacy.

The Education Department is engaging schools in awareness activities, with teachers providing information on prevention methods during daily assemblies. The Food & Civil Supplies Department is distributing campaign details at ration shops to reach rural households. Filariasis, transmitted through bites from infected Culex mosquitoes, can cause swelling and other severe symptoms years after infection. While the disease has no cure, preventive medication taken annually for five consecutive years is considered effective in stopping its progression.

Over 35,483 drug administrators and 7,096 supervisors are mobilised for the campaign. Detailed micro-plans have been prepared, with 390 rapid response teams on standby to handle any adverse drug reactions.

Equipment and medicines have been supplied to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and block-level health units to support the effort.

The targeted districts include Auraiya, Bahraich, Balrampur, Basti, Chandauli, Deoria, Etawah, Farrukhabad, Fatehpur, Ghazipur, Gonda, Gorakhpur, Hardoi, Kannauj, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur Nagar, Kaushambi, Lakhimpur Kheri, Kushinagar, Maharajganj, Mirzapur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Siddharthnagar, Sitapur, Shravasti, Raebareli, and Sultanpur. The health department considers community cooperation vital for the campaign’s success.