Statewide drug administration against filariasis from today

Patna: Bihar will launch a statewide mass drug administration (MDA) campaign against lymphatic filariasis from Tuesday and will continue until Feb 28 across 396 blocks in 34 districts, aiming to protect nearly 8.97 crore people through supervised consumption of anti-filarial medicines.

Health secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh said Bihar was moving rapidly towards elimination of lymphatic filariasis and coordinated action across departments was essential. “A key feature of this round is a statewide mega camp on Feb 11, to be virtually inaugurated by health minister Mangal Pandey, with a target of administering anti-filaria medicines to 1 crore people on a single day. After the mega camp, trained teams will continue booth-based and door-to-door activities until Feb 28 to ensure every eligible person consumed the medicines in the presence of health workers. Authorities emphasised that medicines will not be distributed for unsupervised use,” stated the press release.


The campaign will be implemented under the leadership of Dr Shyama Rai, additional director and state programme officer (filariasis), with 38,215 trained drug administrators. In 19 districts, beneficiaries will receive Albendazole and DEC (Diethylcarbamazine). In the remaining 15 districts, a triple-drug regimen of Albendazole, DEC, and Ivermectin will be provided.

All eligible individuals will receive age-appropriate doses, excluding children below two years, pregnant women, and severely ill. State officials reiterated that the medicines are safe, including for people with common conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, and that mild, temporary symptoms like nausea or dizziness may occur.

In a workshop in Patna on Monday, WHO representatives highlighted filariasis as a mosquito-borne cause of long-term disability and noted that consistent annual MDA can provide lasting protection.