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Lymphatic filariasis (LF), also known as elephantiasis, is one of the world’s major causes of permanent disability, affecting an estimated 130 million people worldwide. India has one third of the world’s cases of the condition and the disease affects just under half of the population.
Despite the prevalence of LF in India, there is a lack of awareness about the disease and the need to take preventative drugs. Fuelling this belief is the fact that the worst symptoms of this disease manifest after 8 to 10 years, and people can be reluctant to take action until they are diseased. Also, despite efforts by trained community health workers to deliver educational messaging and preventive medication door-to-door in endemic regions, many have fears about taking the medicine and fail to consume it.
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½â€™s Angela Robson spoke to some of the people affected with the disease in Orissa, which has some of the highest prevalence rates in the country.
A major government backed health campaign in India is now underway that is aimed at eliminating LF. It includes Indian’s largest mass drug administration in history against the disease. Dr Subbanna Jonnalagada is a public health physician and Deputy Chief Executive of LEPRA in India.

Giant Footprint!
Alongside the mass drug administration, a new public health awareness campaign called Filaria Free India has been launched to convince the population that they are at risk from LF and show them there is an easy solution that requires their participation. The Sabin Vaccine Institute and Global Network in the United States partnered with the Ministry of Health to lead development of Filaria Free India, which features a short public service advert being shown nationally. Their communications director Richard Hatzfeld tells Health Check how they came up with the concept behind it.

Life expectancy
Listener James wrote in to Health Check to ask whether the obesity crisis will have any impact on our increasing average life expectancy. He wondered also whether a reduction in smoking would counteract any potential decline of life expectancy caused by obesity. Dr Sanjay Kinra, reader in clinical Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in London, attempts to answer James’ questions.

(Photo: Pramila Behera being treated for Lymphatic filariasis. Credit: Simon Rawles)