LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS AND THE GLOBAL ELIMINATION PROGRAM

Abstract

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) affects ~ 120 million people worldwide and ~1.1 billion people are at risk of acquiring this infection in 83 countries. It has been identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world’s second leading cause of permanent disability and a major impediment to socioeconomic development, thus a major contributor to poverty of the affected countries. However lymphatic filariasis often is given low priority in health care systems of developing countries, as compared to diseases that cause mortality. Thus it is listed by WHO as one of the main diseases under the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD).