Medicine feeding campaign against elephantiasis

Kathmandu / March 7: The government is going to launch a campaign of feeding medicines to the general public from March 12 in a bid to eradicating elephantiasis.

The Ministry of Health and Population, Division of Epidemiology and Disease Control under Department of Health Services would administer medicines against elephantiasis to 13 million people of 36 districts of the country, said Division Director Dr Baburam Marasini.

Such campaign was launched in the country since 2003. Director Marasini said that they have set a target to feed the medicines to 13 million this year compared to 16.8 million last year.

A total of 13,078 health workers and 65,678 volunteers would be mobilized for the same. Such campaign is underway in different phases in 61 districts.

Central focal person of the Elephantiasis Disease Eradication Campaign, Tulasi Adhikari, said that the disease could be fully wiped out if medicines against the disease is taken till six years regularly.

The government has a target to feed the medicine to the people of all districts within 2018 with an objective of completely eradicating the disease from the country by 2020. RSS