Lucknow, 9 February: In its ongoing attempts to eradicate filariasis, the Uttar Pradesh government plans to conduct a thorough campaign across the state’s 17 districts beginning February 10.
This promotion will run till February 28. Under this program, 72,000 health professionals would deliver filariasis medication to more than 3.5 crore individuals in the state.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has personally appealed to the people of the state to join this effort. He asked everyone to consider themselves possibly infected with filariasis and to take preventative measures to protect themselves and future generations. He stressed that filariasis, a deadly illness caused by Culex mosquito bites, develops in 5 to 15 years. To promote community health, it is recommended that everyone take the drug without waiting for symptoms to appear.
From February 10 to 28, the Yogi government will perform MDA rounds in Amethi, Azamgarh, Ballia, Banda, Barabanki, Bareilly, Hamirpur, Jaunpur, Jalaun, Lucknow, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur, Prayagraj, Pratapgarh, Sonbhadra, Unnao, and Varanasi with the goal of eradicating filariasis from Uttar Pradesh.
In Amethi, Azamgarh, Banda, Barabanki, Bareilly, Lucknow, Pratapgarh, Prayagraj, Unnao, and Varanasi, a triple-drug combination (Ivermectin, DEC, and Albendazole) would be given. In Ballia, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Jaunpur, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur, and Sonbhadra, a two-drug combination (DEC and Albendazole) will be administered.
Dr. Ramesh Singh Thakur highlighted that filariasis harms not only the person but also the entire family. If a family’s breadwinner is unable to work and there is no other source of money, the family would eventually weaken.
If left untreated, the condition proceeds through phases and might eventually result in full impairment. In such a case, the individual becomes prone to a variety of different diseases. As a result, he emphasized the need of taking medication in such instances.
The Chief Minister highlighted that, while this disease is preventable, once caught, it is incurable. This can only be handled, and the government is fully committed to it. The Yogi government is making heavy use of social media to guarantee the campaign’s success. Dr. Ramesh Singh Thakur, the state filariasis program officer, stated here on Friday that WhatsApp groups have been created at the block and gram panchayat levels with the Yogi government’s advice.
Furthermore, the department is pushing the campaign using social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Street dramas and folk music are also performed to this end.
To ensure the campaign’s success, 36,000 teams of 72,000 health workers were organized. Seven thousand supervisors will monitor the initiative, which aims to provide medicine to 3,60,25,891 individuals. Everyone will receive the drug, with the exception of children under the age of two, pregnant women, and anyone suffering from serious diseases.
In addition, health professionals will walk door-to-door to provide medicine to all inhabitants, and if no one is discovered at home, a second visit will be made. People can also take the medication at their nearby health care.
Notably, the medication will be provided in Health and Wellness Centers, District Hospitals, and Community and Primary Health Centers. The medication will be delivered to school-aged youngsters at their educational facilities. Booths will also be set up at medical institutes and media institutions in Lucknow. Symptoms include hydrocele in children aged five to fifteen, as well as enlargement of the hands, legs, and breasts. Remedies: Take medication during Mass Drug Administration (MDA) rounds, avoid dirt and mosquitoes, and wear full-sleeved clothes. Use mosquito netting even during the day to protect yourself from mosquitos.
