Authors: Moazzem Hossain, Ken Yoshimura, Sharmin Akter, Md Ariful Hoque, Sadia Afrin
Lymphatic filariasis (LF), commonly known as elephantiasis, is one of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and has emerged as a public health problem. It is the second leading cause of disability in the world with millions of patients suffering from disability.
Southeast Asia plus Northeast India and Bangladesh account for over a fifth of the population of these two regions. Elimination of LF in these areas would, therefore, have a significant impact on the global disease burden. Bangladesh entered the post Mass drug administration surveillance since MDA is finished, Bangladesh government aims to declare as a filarial free country by 2021. The objective of this study is to reveal the prevalence and characteristics of Filaria patients in the filaria and General Hospital (A project of Institute of Allergy and Clinical Immunology of Bangladesh –IACIB) attended for morbidity control. This is a retrospective descriptive study was carried out in filaria and General Hospital. Study participants were registered patients with LF (n=570) during the period from April 3, 2018, to August 2, 2019.
Most LF patients were in the prime of their life. Many patients have severe disabilities and symptoms that impair their appearance, such as swelling, ADL.As Bangladesh has been waiting for LF free, the resources should be shifted to further counting and undertaking the morbidity burden. Infection control by proper symptomatic treatment followed by Sequential Compression therapy, Twisting Tourniquet therapy and Bandaging for morbidity control should be done by Government through proper training to doctors and paramedics.
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