Villages battle elephantiasis, kala azar

Muzaffarpur/Gopalganj: Far from the world of scientists studying climate change, the twin whammies of altered rainfall patterns and rising temperatures are being felt every day in villages such as Sher in Bihar where lymphatic filariasis and other neglected tropical diseases lurk in dank corners.Climate change, which brings with it floods and droughts, is also leading to more mosquitoes and sandflies and therefore a spike in diseases such as lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis, dengue and visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala azar. As the summer sets in, so does the threat of transmission of these diseases with the heat creating fertile breeding grounds for the vectors.“Climate change is fundamentally altering vector ecology, favouring the survival and reproduction of disease carrying vectors like mosquitoes and sandflies,” said Dr Bhupendra Tripathi, a New Delhi-based scientist.“This phenomenon extends their range and boosts their population densities, thus expanding vector habitats. Consequently, previously unaffected regions are now susceptible to vector-borne diseases such as LF and VL, with instances emerging in places like Uttarakhand,” said the MD and deputy director, Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Delivery, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, India Country Office.Bihar’s Sher village is testament that the fears of scientists and other experts are very real.Walking through the labyrinthine lanes of the village, Kusum Begum is tasked with not just distributing medicines to combat LF, a debilitating disease caused by parasitic worms transmitted to humans through infected mosquitoes, but also increasing awareness.“Climate change is making our battle against diseases like lymphatic filariasis even more challenging. We must act swiftly to mitigate these threats,” Kusum said.Shanti Devi, a community leader in Mugal Biracha village in Gopalganj district, has taken charge of spreading awareness on disease prevention and climate resilience.“We must arm ourselves with knowledge on protecting against mosquito bites and understand the importance of curbing disease spread. Because we don't know when the situation will worsen,” she said.Bihar is likely to witness hotter summers and scantier rainfall in the next two decades. This may pose greater health risks with more severe heat waves and an “exponential” rise in vector-borne diseases, according to a recent submission before the state assembly by the department of environment, forest and climate change (DEFCC) which cited a report of the Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB).Underscoring the urgency of addressing the impact of climate change, Parmeshwar Prasad, additional director and Bihar programme officer of lymphatic filariasis, said India is on way to achieving its target of eradication by 2027 but the challenges are plenty. “In view of rising temperatures we are recommending and taking action at two levels – individual and societal,” he said.Tripathi added that climate change directly affects the spread and prevalence of neglected tropical diseases (NTD) like LF and VL in different areas of India by influencing vector ecology, geographical expansion, human migration patterns, vector adaptations, and changes in local infrastructure.Projections of shifting rainfall patterns in Bihar and soaring temperatures paint a grim picture, underscoring the urgent need for action. Higher temperatures could lead to an exponential rise of vector-borne diseases.Fourteen of the 50 districts, including Muzaffarpur and Gopalganj, are considered most vulnerable to climate change in India are in Bihar, said BSPCB chairperson Devendra Kumar Shukla. PTI