Lao PDR Successfully Eliminates Lymphatic Filariasis

• 20 Oct 2023

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has successfully eliminated lymphatic filariasis (LF), a debilitating disease with significant social and economic impacts.

Key Points

• Efforts and Collaboration: The elimination of LF in Lao PDR is attributed to decades of dedicated efforts by the Lao government, healthcare workers, communities, and national and international partners.
• Global Progress: Lao PDR is now the second country, after Bangladesh, to eliminate LF in 2023. A total of 19 countries have achieved LF elimination, with 11 of them belonging to the WHO Western Pacific Region (WPR), making Lao PDR the 11th country in the WPR to successfully eliminate LF.
• In addition to the Western Pacific Region, other regions, including South-East Asia, Africa, and the Eastern Mediterranean, have also made progress in LF elimination.
• Mass Drug Administration (MDA): The most cost-effective method for treating LF in endemic areas and preventing its transmission is mass drug administration (MDA).
• The WHO recommends a triple therapy combination of ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine, and albendazole for MDA.
• Global Challenges: Despite significant progress, some regions, like India, still face challenges in reaching all those in need of MDA.
• In 2022, over 794 million people globally required MDA for LF treatment, with India having the largest share.
• However, only about 34% of those individuals in India received treatment. Other countries, such as Gabon in Africa, have yet to initiate MDA programs.
• Global Sustainable Development Goal: The elimination of NTDs by 2030 aligns with the United Nations-mandated global sustainable development goal of "health for all" (SDG 3).
• The successful elimination of LF in Lao PDR is seen as a significant accomplishment and an inspiration for other countries working toward NTD eradication.