Bhubaneswar: In a proactive move to eliminate filaria, the Odisha government has initiated a comprehensive strategy involving a three-drug therapy as part of a widespread mass drug administration effort across 11 districts.

The campaign was officially launched on Thursday. The selected districts are Angul, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Sonepur, Sundargarh, Jajpur, Ganjam, Dhenkanal, and Sambalpur. Residents in these regions will be administered a combination of three drugs (Ivermectin, DEC, and Albendazole).

The inauguration of this crucial campaign was conducted virtually by Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Niranjan Pujari. During the launch, Pujari underlined the critical importance of ensuring that all eligible recipients receive the anti-filarial medicines. This concerted effort is aimed at achieving the ambitious objective of completely eradicating lymphatic filariasis.

Following the official launch, a team of trained drug administrators commenced the distribution of the three drugs through multiple channels including booths, educational institutions, and door-to-door visits. A health official emphasized that beneficiaries are required to ingest the medicines in the presence of these administrators to ensure proper distribution.

A roster of 65,646 trained drug administrators, including ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists), will embark on a comprehensive outreach initiative across households in the 11 designated districts. Their primary goal is to ensure the successful consumption of the drugs among a population of 1.8 crore individuals.

Elaborating on the regimen, Director of Public Health, Dr. Niranjan Mishra assured that the three-drug therapy is safe for almost all recipients, with exceptions for children under the age of two, pregnant women, and individuals with serious illnesses.