Health Impact of the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis
Author Information
Author(s): Ottesen Eric A., Hooper Pamela J., Bradley Mark, Biswas Gautam
Primary Institution: Lymphatic Filariasis Support Center, Task Force for Child Survival and Development
Hypothesis
What health impact has the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) achieved after 8 years?
Conclusion
The GPELF has significantly reduced the incidence of lymphatic filariasis and provided substantial health benefits to millions.
Supporting Evidence
- Over 1.9 billion treatments were delivered to more than 570 million people.
- 6.6 million newborns were protected from lymphatic filariasis.
- 32 million Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) were averted due to the program.
- 9.5 million individuals were protected from developing overt disease.
- More than 310 million treatments of albendazole were delivered to women of childbearing age and children.
Takeaway
The program has helped millions of people by giving them medicine to prevent a painful disease and also helped treat other infections.
Methodology
The study analyzed health impacts based on demographic and disease prevalence data from various reputable sources.
Limitations
The study does not quantify all health benefits and relies on conservative estimates.
Participant Demographics
The program targeted individuals in 48 LF-endemic countries, including children and women of childbearing age.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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