The World Well being Group (WHO) congratulates Brazil for having eradicated lymphatic filariasis as a public well being drawback.
Eliminating a illness is a momentous accomplishment that takes unwavering dedication. I congratulate Brazil for its efforts to free its folks of the scourge of this painful, disfiguring, disabling and stigmatizing illness. That is one other instance of the unbelievable progress we’ve made in opposition to uncared for tropical ailments and provides hope to many different nations nonetheless preventing in opposition to lymphatic filariasis that they can also remove this illness.”
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-Common
Lymphatic filariasis, generally referred to as elephantiasis, is a debilitating parasitic illness unfold by mosquitoes. For hundreds of years, this illness has bothered thousands and thousands worldwide, inflicting ache, persistent, extreme swelling, critical incapacity, and social stigmatization.
Efficient country-level investments
Over the previous few many years, Brazil has applied built-in actions to remove lymphatic filariasis, together with the event of a nationwide plan to struggle this illness in 1997, the mass distribution of antiparasitic medicine, vector management actions, and robust surveillance, notably in probably the most affected areas. With these efforts, the nation achieved the tip of illness transmission in 2017.
The elimination of lymphatic filariasis was additionally one of many targets of the Brasil Saudável program, a multisectoral initiative geared toward ending socially decided ailments with a whole-of-government method and civil society participation, together with the involvement of affected folks within the implementation of illness management efforts. The programme was launched in February 2024 by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in a ceremony with the participation of Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-Common and Dr Jarbas Barbosa, Director of the Pan American Well being Group (PAHO) and WHO Regional Director for the Americas. Within the post-elimination part, Brazil, PAHO, and WHO will proceed to intently monitor for attainable resurgence of infections.
“This milestone is the results of years of dedication, exhausting work, and collaboration amongst well being staff, researchers, and authorities in Brazil”, mentioned Dr Jarbas Barbosa, PAHO Director and WHO Regional Director for the Americas. “Brazil’s in depth and unified well being system, coupled with strong specialised laboratory experience and strong surveillance have been important to interrupt the chain of transmission, inspiring different international locations to advance in the direction of the elimination of lymphatic filariasis and different uncared for tropical ailments”.
International progress
Globally, Brazil joins 19 different international locations and territories which were validated by WHO for having eradicated lymphatic filariasis as a public well being drawback. These are Malawi and Togo within the African Area; Egypt and Yemen within the Jap Mediterranean Area; Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand within the South-East Asia Area; and Cambodia, Cook dinner Islands, Kiribati, Lao Folks’s Democratic Republic, Marshall Islands, Niue, Palau, Tonga, Vanuatu, Viet Nam and Wallis and Futuna within the Western Pacific Area.
Within the Americas, three endemic international locations (Dominican Republic, Guyana, and Haiti) nonetheless require mass drug administration to cease transmission and are working to attain the elimination goal.
Along with being the twentieth nation to be validated for elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public well being drawback, Brazil has additionally turn into the 53rd nation to have eradicated no less than one uncared for tropical illness, globally.
Supply:
The World Well being Group
