Union Minister JP Nadda Launches National MDA Campaign to Eradicate Lymphatic Filariasis (LF).
National
In February 2025, Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, along with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), launched the Annual Nationwide Mass Drug Administration (MDA) Campaign aimed at eliminating Lymphatic Filariasis (LF), commonly known as Hathi Paon. The launch was conducted through a video conference, with participation from State Health Ministers and senior officials from 13 LF-endemic states.
- The campaign focuses on door-to-door distribution of anti-filarial medication, ensuring that all eligible individuals receive and consume the prescribed medicine to prevent the transmission of Lymphatic Filariasis (LF).
- Led by the National Center for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), India is committed to eliminating Lymphatic Filariasis by 2027.
- Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) is a parasitic disease transmitted through the bites of infected Culex mosquitoes.
Main Point :- (i) The State Health Ministers who participated in the meeting included Satya Kumar Yadav (Andhra Pradesh), Ashok Singhal (Assam), Shyam Bihari Jaiswal (Chhattisgarh), Rushikesh Ganeshbhai Patel (Gujarat), Irfan Ansari (Jharkhand), Dinesh Gundu Rao (Karnataka), Rajendra Shukla (Madhya Pradesh), Mukesh Mahaling (Odisha), Mangal Pandey (Bihar), Prakashrao Abitkar (Maharashtra), and Brijesh Pathak (Uttar Pradesh).
(ii) The MDA campaign will take place twice a year, covering 111 endemic districts across 13 states: Andhra Pradesh (AP), Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh (MP), Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh (UP), and West Bengal (WB). Starting from February 10, 2025, anti-filarial medicines will be provided free of cost to over 17.5 crore people across these endemic districts.
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