Fourth round of mass drug administration for Lymphatic Filariasis starts next week
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Health Department is launching next week Monday, Aug. 14 through Sept. 22 — the fourth round of Mass Drug Administration to eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) in American Samoa — which the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, “is the last remaining known American territory with ongoing LF transmission.”
In a notice issued this week, DoH explained that Lymphatic Filariasis, a disease caused by worms, is spread by mosquitoes that can cause abnormal swelling of the arms, legs, and other body parts, which can lead to severe disability.
“Your participation and taking your filariasis pills will help stop the spread of infection,” according to DoH, which will soon release locations where the MDA will be administered throughout the territory.
Gov. Lemanu P.S. Mauga has proclaimed that “a mass drug administration and public health campaign to eliminate lymphatic filariasis shall commence, and I urge all citizens to participate in the campaign by attending the sites of the drug administration in order to ensure a healthy and strong population.”
In his proclamation, he said the Governor’s Office and DoH are committed to stop the spread of preventable diseases in the territory; and that lymphatic filariasis has been recognized as a debilitating parasitic disease that disproportionately affects the population of American Samoa.
Additionally, the people of American Samoa are at risk of contracting this disease; and DoH, in partnership with the CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO), seeks to eliminate lymphatic filariasis from the territory. And the WHO recommends annual doses of three medications be administered to populations in areas where lymphatic filariasis is prevalent.
As a result of this remarkable effort, DoH is able to provide these medications to residents of American Samoa on a voluntary basis at no cost.
According to the governor, DoH has created a multi-disciplinary team to dispense these medications throughout the territory, and will provide each participant with an overview of the substantial medical benefits and known risks associated with medications in accordance with applicable law.
And he declared that: “the medications to be administered have been demonstrated to be safe and effective.”
At the CDC, the federal agency says it works with partners, particularly DoH, to carry out LF elimination strategies recommended by WHO. These include distributing preventative medicines to communities through mass drug administration campaigns and regularly assessing the impact of disease transmission.
In October 2021, DoH kicked off a third round of mass drug administration for LF using the WHO-recommended triple-drug regimen with remote technical support from CDC staff. A follow-up survey was carried out last year.
“Lymphatic filariasis, considered globally as a neglected tropical disease (NTD), is a parasitic disease caused by microscopic, thread-like worms,” the CDC declare. “The adult worms only live in the human lymph system. The lymph system maintains the body’s fluid balance and fights infections. Lymphatic filariasis is spread from person to person by mosquitoes.”
More information on LF as well as a CDC report in 2019 on LF in American Samoa - which was previously covered by Samoa News - is on the CDC website (www.cdc.gov).
For questions, call DoH at 633-5871/5872, or DOH’s hotline at 219.