Lymphatic filariasis in India
Prominence and Spread of a disease in India / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lymphatic filariasis in India refers to the presence of the disease lymphatic filariasis in India and the social response to the disease. In India, 99% of infections come from a type of mosquito spreading a type of worm through a mosquito bite.[1] The treatment plan provides 400 million people in India with medication to eliminate the parasite.[2] About 50 million people in India were carrying the worm as of the early 2010s, which is 40% of all the cases in the world.[3] In collaboration with other countries around the world, India is participating in a global effort to eradicate lymphatic filariasis. If the worm is eliminated from India then the disease could be permanently eradicated.[4][5] In October 2019 the Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said that India's current plan is on schedule to eradicate filariasis by 2021.[6]
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To treat, prevent, and eliminate the disease, the Indian government provides mass drug administration (MDA) to achieve mass deworming. The treatment is a few pills taken once a year for five years. The medication provided is diethylcarbamazine.[citation needed] For the treatment to work 60-80% of people in large regions must take this yearly treatment for several years.