Zimbabwe Launches Mass Drug Campaign Against Elephantiasis
Zimbabwe has initiated a Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign targeting lymphatic filariasis, or elephantiasis, aiming to reach 1.4 million individuals across several districts.
Running from September 16 to 28, 2024, the campaign utilized a new triple-drug therapy combining ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine, and albendazole, achieving a 73% coverage rate.
Supported by the WHO and the Higherlife Foundation, the initiative addresses both physical and socio-economic impacts of the disease, which affects mental health and contributes to poverty
Zimbabwe’s four most prevalent NTDs in 2023 were bilharzia, intestinal worms, elephantiasis, and blinding trachoma.
The World Health Organization (WHO) survey estimates that 51 million people were infected with elephantiasis in 2018, a significant number that represents a 74% drop from 2000, when a WHO-led program was launched to eradicate elephantiasis. As a result of that program, preventive chemotherapy has proven effective in halting the spread of the causative parasites, though those drugs have limited effectiveness against adult worms.
