It is a race to zero as the Ministry of Public Health and the Pan American Health Organisation have set a goal of eliminating lymphatic filariasis in Guyana by the year 2027.
As part of an aggressive five-year strategy, the two agencies through a mass drug administration (MDA) porgramme are distributing filaria-eliminating drugs Albendazole and Diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC) to citizens across the country. The drugs, according to the World Health Organization are deemed to be the safest and are the best approach to combating lymphatic filariasis.
The campaign, which began in October and concludes this month, targets Regions Three, Four, Five and Ten, and the response to it has been positive. To achieve complete elimination of this neglected tropical disease, Dr. Alexander Jean, a Malaria Control Specialist at the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) said, every year at least 65 per cent of the population would have to receive the drug in order for complete elimination to be achieved.
