Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Thursday launched a 10-day programme for mass drug administration with a view to eradicating lymphatic filariasis. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has appealed to all eligible persons in the state to participate in the programme, which is being undertaken in 11 districts from August 10 to 19.
Officially, the three-drug therapy was launched on Thursday in Angul, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Sonepur, Sundargarh, Jajpur, Ganjam, Dhenkanal, and Sambalpur districts. All inhabitants of these districts would be administered a combination of three drugs – lvermectin, DEC, and Albendazole.
Launching the programme in a virtual mode on Thursday, Odisha Minister for Health and Family Welfare Niranjan Pujari emphasised the importance of ensuring that all eligible people receive the anti-filarial medicines as the initiative aims to completely eradicate lymphatic filariasis from the state.
A team of trained drug administrators is now administering the three drugs through multiple channels including booths, educational institutions, and door-to-door visits. The beneficiaries are required to ingest the medicines in the presence of these administrators to ensure proper distribution.
A total of 65,646 trained drug administrators, including ASHAs are working to ensure the successful consumption of the drugs by 1.8 crore people in the selected 11 districts of Odisha.
According to Dr Niranjan Mishra, Director of Public Health, the three-drug therapy is safe for all recipients, barring children under the age of two years, pregnant women, and people suffering from serious ailments.
