Eradicating Lymphatic Filariasis: WHO's Global War on Disease - Research Paper

Introduction

Lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis is a disease that is prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions. Lymphatic filariasis has been in existent for decades and it is caused by infection caused by parasites that are spread by a mosquito. In 2000, the disease had infected more than 120 million people, and over 40 million people have been left disabled. The World Health Organization and has initiated various programs to help alleviate the suffering among patients and prevent further spread of the disease. In this paper, it is essential to discuss the causes of lymphatic filariasis. Moreover, it is essential to discuss the symptoms, the regions affected by the disease approaches used to eliminate the disease and mass drug administration for the lymphatic system.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Causes of Lymphatic Filariasis

Lymphatic Filariasis is caused by Wuchereria bancrofti responsible for major cases, Brugia malayi and B. timori. The adult worms affect the lymphatic vessel and enter the normal function of the lymphatic system. The parasites can survive between 6 to 8 years, survive and produce microfilariae in the circulatory system. The major symptoms of the disease include; lymphoedema, elephantiasis of the limbs, hydrocoele, chylocoele, and elephantiasis of the scrotum and the penis, and acute attacks. Most of the signs are asymptomatic. However, all of them cause damage to the lymphatic system (Paily, Hoti, & Das, 2009).

When a mosquito bites a human skin, the larval stage parasites enter the lymphatic system where they develop within a period of 6 to 12 months into mature worms which then damage the lymphatic vessels. The adult female worms reproduce millions of microfilariae into the blood system which are then sucked by a mosquito. The parasite then develops and becomes infectious human beings (Makunde et al 2003).

Different types of mosquitos transmit LF, and they include; Culex mosquito, which is prevalent in the urban and semi-urban areas, Anopheles mosquito-spread in the rural area, and the Aedes which is found in the endemic islands in the pacific.

Symptoms of Lymphatic Filariasis

LF infection may cause asymptomatic, acute, and chronic conditions. The asymptomatic infection does not show any visible signs but contributes to the transmission of the parasite and damages the lymphatic system, kidney, and weakens the immune system. The acute and chronic conditions caused by these diseases cause socio-economic problems to the affected countries. The symptoms of the diseases include; hydrocoele, lymphoedema, orchitis, adenolympanghitis, and elephantiasis (World Health Organization, 2019).

Despite that the infection can cause quite insignificant death cases, it is has caused health sufferings, disabilities and it has been to handicap issues. The disease has resulted in genital issues among men, and lymphoedema and elephantiasis among women. The symptoms lymphatic filariasis is easily manifested among children but they show as sub-clinical infections as they develop become visible like those of adults (Ton, Mackenzie, & Molyneux, 2015).

Regions Affected by Lymphatic Filariasis

More than one billion people are at risk of being infected by lymphatic disease around the world. Over 120 million people around the tropical and subtropical regions are at risk of being infected with the disease. More than 80 countries have reported lymphatic filariasis cases. 90 percent of the cases are caused by W. bancrofti. Only 10% of the cases are caused by B. malayi which is limited to Asian countries and some regions of the pacific. The disease is most prevalent in areas such as Nigeria, Bangladesh, Indonesia and India (Ton, Mackenzie, & Molyneux, 2015).

The Approaches Used to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis

The World Health Assembly which took place in 1997, the World Health Organization and its members vowed to eliminate the disease around the universe. The Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (PELF) was initiated in 2000. The GPEFL has two major goals which include: to stop transmission of the disease and to reduce and prevent suffering and disability that be a result of the infection (World Health Organization, 2019).

Ways to Eliminate the Transmission of Lymphatic Filariasis

The powerful diagnostic technique used for field diagnosis, antigen detection in finger-prick blood is a powerful diagnostic technique used for field diagnosis. Also, a clinical diagnosis helps to detect a living parasite adult. The International Task Force for Disease Eradication has been examining the effectiveness of the medical approaches of eliminating the disease. Based on the records the organization is hoping that it is possible to eradicate the disease (World Health Organization, 2015).

To effectively disrupt the transmission of the infection among the people who are a high risk of becoming infected, patients must receive treatment over a long duration to ensure that the levels of microfilariae in the blood are lower than those needed to cause an infection. The major prescriptions given to patients with the disease are 400mg albendazole and a 6 mg/ kg diethylcarbamazine (DEC). Also, albendazole (400mg) combined with ivermectin (200 mcg/kg) is used for treatment and it is only used once per year within a period of 4 to 6 years, based on the lifespan of the infection in the blood. The other alternative is the use of DEC-fortified cooking salt and it is used daily for 6 to 12months (World Health Organization, 2019).

Ways to Alleviate and Avert Suffering Among the Infected Patients

Chronic Lymphatic Filariariasis may cause adverse conditions such as disability and handicap to patients. Healthcare practitioners focus on reducing the secondary bacterial and fungal infections that attack the limbs and the genitals. The disease mostly affects the lymphatic systems in the limbs and the genitals. The secondary infection is the major cause of lymphoedema and elephantiasis. Hygiene and local care are the main measures that help to avert pain and avoid injuring the lymphangitis. Examples of hygiene and local care include; washing the infected parts with soap and water, doing limb exercises, wearing comfy footwear and avoiding strenuous works at home. The WHO has successfully eliminated the prevalence of the disease in some countries such as Japan and parts China through various programs. Also, improved sanitization in Australia and the US has successfully facilitated the elimination of the disease in those areas (Makunde et al., 2003).

Mass Drug Administration for Lymphatic Filariasis

LF can only be eliminated through preventive chemotherapy. Mass drug administration is the main strategy for preventive chemotherapy that can help to eradicate LF. The aim of the program is to ensure that populations at risk of LF receive a combined dose of medications to prevent spread of the disease to other people by killing the infection to lower level such that transmission, stop the multiplication of the infection in the patients' blood and the kill the infections (Deribe et al., 2017). The MDA program has prevented or cured an estimation of over 96 million people. However, there still exist millions of cases for people with hydrocoele and Lymphoedema. People with such can require a special health-care management service known as morbidity management and disability prevention (World Health Organization, 2019).

The implementation of MDA began in Africa and most countries have benefited. Out of the 81 countries considered to be LF endemic, 18 of them have managed to surveillance levels while the rest of the countries still need MDA. By 2015, the MDA has salvaged an economic loss of more than 100 billion shillings. Since the strategy was initiated in 2000, more than 7.7 billion treatments have been administered and almost a billion people have received MDA at least once. In Africa, 35 countries have been considered to be endemic and MDA has been implemented in only 25 countries. Also, the program is being implemented in regions such as the Eastern Mediterranean region (Egypt, Sudan, and Yemen), region of the Americas, Southeast Asia region (World Health Organization, 2019).

Conclusion

Lymphatic filariasis remains a threat to human life in the tropic and subtropical regions. Hover, the World health organization in collaboration with the countries where the LF endemic has heavily invested resources to facilitate the eradication of the disease. Nevertheless, some countries are still yet to receive enough support to eliminate the disease. The disease does not only cause individual suffering, but it is also a major drawback of a country's social-economic progress. The WHO has prescribed the required medication to help alleviate suffering among the patients, reduce the density of parasites in the human body and to prevent the prevalence of the disease to the uninfected persons. Mass drug administration is the strategy that has facilitated the elimination of in areas where LF is widespread.

References

Deribe, K., Kebede, B., Tamiru, M., Mengistu, B., Kebede, F., Martindale, S., Fentaye, A. (2017). Integrated morbidity management for lymphatic filariasis and podoconiosis, Ethiopia. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 95(9), 652-656. doi:10.2471/blt.16.189399

Makunde, W. H., Kamugisha, L. M., Massaga, J. J., Makunde, R. W., Savael, Z. X., Akida, J., ... & Taylor, M. J. (2003). Treatment of co-infection with bancroftian filariasis and onchocerciasis: a safety and efficacy study of albendazole with ivermectin compared to treatment of single infection with bancroftian filariasis. Filaria Journal, 2(1), 15. doi:10.1539/joh.48.276

Paily, K. P., Hoti, S. L., & Das, P. K. (2009). A review of the complexity of the biology of lymphatic filarial parasites. Journal of Parasitic Diseases, 33(1-2), 3-12. doi:10.1007/s12639-009-0005-4

Ton, T. G., Mackenzie, C., & Molyneux, D. H. (2015). The burden of mental health in lymphatic filariasis. Infectious Diseases of Poverty, 4(1). doi:10.1186/s40249-015-0068-7

World Health Organization. (2015). Global program to eliminate lymphatic filariasis: progress report, 2014. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/lymphatic_filariasis/resources/who_wer9038/en/

World Health Organization. (2019, October 6). Lymphatic filariasis. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/lymphatic-filariasis