Diethylcarbamazine citrate-fortified salt for lymphatic filariasis elimination in India

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dc.contributor.authorSabesan, S.en_US
dc.contributor.authorKrishnamoorthy, K.en_US
dc.contributor.authorHoti, S.L.en_US
dc.contributor.authorSubramanian, S.en_US
dc.contributor.authorSrividya, A.en_US
dc.contributor.authorRoy, Nupuren_US
dc.contributor.authorJain, Tanuen_US
dc.contributor.authorKumar, Ashwanien_US
dc.contributor.authorRahi, Manjuen_US
dc.date.accessioned2023-08-19T04:52:09Z
dc.date.available2023-08-19T04:52:09Z
dc.date.issued2022-04
dc.description.abstractLymphatic filariasis (LF) is a vector-borne neglected tropical disease, causing permanent disability. The disease is debilitating and widespread, leading to tremendous productivity and economic loss. The Government of India (GOI) prioritized the elimination of LF through the annual mass drug administration (MDA) programme in 2004 and continued with a single dose of diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC), 6 mg/kg of body weight, plus albendazole annually over a period of 5-6 years. The GOI had set the target to achieve LF elimination by 2015 and now by 2030. The progress so far has been suboptimal. Much remains to be done as about 84 per cent of the total 328 endemic districts are still under MDA. The major challenge in implementing MDA is poor compliance. It is necessary to have a feasible alternative strategy addressing the above challenge to achieve the desired goal of LF elimination. At this juncture, a well-researched approach, i.e. the use of DEC-fortified salt, also advocated by the World Health Organization, as a unique form of MDA, is proposed. As per this strategy, a low dose of DEC (0.2% w/w) is added to the cooking salt at the manufacturing facility of iodized salt and consumed by the LF-endemic communities for about two years. Many examples of successful use of this strategy for LF elimination in small- and large-scale trials have been documented in India and several other endemic countries in the world. Implementing DEC–iodine-fortified salt is a safe, less expensive, more efficient and prompt approach for achieving the elimination of LF in India. Adverse effects are none or minor and self-limiting. The DEC-fortified salt strategy can easily piggyback on the existing countrywide deployment of iodized salt under the National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme (NIDDCP), which has achieved a great success in reducing iodine-deficiency disorders such as hypothyroidism. This existing robust programme can be leveraged to launch DEC-fortified salt for the community. If implemented appropriately, this strategy will ensure the complete cessation of LF transmission within two years from its introduction. If the said strategy is implemented in 2022, it is expected that India will be able to achieve the LF elimination by 2024, much before the global target of 2030.en_US
dc.identifier.affiliationsVector Control Research Centre, Puducherryen_US
dc.identifier.affiliationsNational Centre for Vector-Borne Disease Control, Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India &en_US
dc.identifier.affiliationsDivision of Epidemiology & Communicable Diseases, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, Indiaen_US
dc.identifier.citationSabesan S., Krishnamoorthy K., Hoti S.L., Subramanian S., Srividya A., Roy Nupur, Jain Tanu, Kumar Ashwani, Rahi Manju. Diethylcarbamazine citrate-fortified salt for lymphatic filariasis elimination in India. Indian Journal of Medical Research. 2022 Apr; 155(3-4): 347–355en_US
dc.identifier.issn0971-5916
dc.identifier.placeIndiaen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://imsear.searo.who.int/handle/123456789/223603
dc.languageenen_US
dc.publisherWolters Kluwer – Medknowen_US
dc.relation.issuenumber3-4en_US
dc.relation.volume155en_US
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.4103/ijmr.ijmr_171_22en_US
dc.subjectDEC-fortified salten_US
dc.subjecteliminationen_US
dc.subjectIndiaen_US
dc.subjectlymphatic filariasisen_US
dc.subjectstrategyen_US
dc.titleDiethylcarbamazine citrate-fortified salt for lymphatic filariasis elimination in Indiaen_US
dc.typeJournal Articleen_US
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