16th drug to control elephantiasis

In other 11 districts of Lumbini province, although Hattipai has been resolved, only Kapilvastu remains. Elephant foot parasites have not been controlled due to the fact that the educated, conscious and educated people do not take medicine. The general public is at high risk of being trampled by elephants. Therefore, on 16th of Baisakh for the 16th time, elephant foot medicine is being administered here. A plan has been made to provide medicine targeting the 669 thousand population of the district.

1.11 percent of the district's 7 lakh population was found to have filarial parasites when the drug was given for the 15th time. When the blood of 1,258 people was tested, parasites were found in 14 people. If the rate of parasites is less than one percent, it is considered that the disease has been reduced.

In Nepal, elephants are infected by 'Ucheria bancrofti' parasite. In the beginning, the district, which had been running a drug campaign since 2007, had to eradicate elephantiasis in 2013. During that period, 6 years after taking the drug, the blood test showed more than the minimum standard of elephantiasis parasites. In 2013, 4.7 percent of blood samples were tested for elephantiasis. When blood samples of 2,692 students from 40 schools were tested, 27 of them were found to have the elephantiasis parasite.

After the eighth feeding, parasites were found in 13.5 percent. During the 10th examination, parasites were found in 12.5 percent. Parasites were found in 9.39 percent after the 13th round of feeding. "There has been a lot of improvement during the 15th round of testing," Uday Chandra Chaurasia, vector control inspector of the health office, said, "this time everyone should take medicine and make the district free of elephantiasis."

He said that the disease has been eradicated in 53 districts where medicines have been given along with Kapilvastu. Now along with Kapilvastu, Rasuwa, Rautahat, Sarlahi, Mahottari, Dhanusha and Jhapa are yet to be resolved. Ramkumar Mahato, public health officer of Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, said that there is a risk of elephantiasis in 60 districts of Nepal. Nepal had set the goal of eliminating elephantiasis by the year 2020. However, if it is not achieved, there is a new goal to solve it within 2030. Elephant foot parasites are unknown until they become a problem. If the hands and feet become swollen due to this mosquito-borne disease, it will not be healthy for the rest of the life. You have to live a difficult life as a disabled person. Ugly and physically disabled. However, diseases affecting the testicles and other parts of the body can be cured. District Health Office Chief Narayan Prasad Chowdhury said that due to lack of awareness and lack of education, the tendency to not take medicine has increased the number of parasites in elephants. Health workers say that the trend of not taking medicine has increased since there were rumors of various problems among people who took medicine in Nepal in the beginning.

In order to prevent elephantiasis, the rate of microfilaria should be less than 1 percent or the rate of antigenemia should be less than 2 percent at the national and district level. Medicines against elephantiasis should not be taken by children under two years of age, pregnant women, long-term patients, women who have given birth less than a week, and on an empty stomach. This year, three types of drugs are being administered namely Albendazole, DEC and Ivermectin. It not only protects against elephantiasis but also cures scabies, scabies and itching.

In Baisakh, a target of giving medicine to 5 million 78 thousand people in 7 districts has been taken. For this, 6,000 health workers and 5,800 volunteers will be mobilized.