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Anti-filaria drive from today

By Our Staff Reporter

KOZHIKODE DEC. 11. The anti-filaria drive under the nomenclature `mass drug therapy' (MDA) would be administered in the district from December 12 to 14. The Diethale ethale cardamile (DEC) tablet (of 6 m.g. in keeping with body weight), will be distributed to all except infants below one year, pregnant women, and chronic patients.

At a press conference here, the District Colector, T.O. Sooraj, stressed the relevance of the therapy to eradicate filaria. Last year though the drug had been made available to 90 per cent of the population, only 40 per cent had consumed it.

The dose comprises one-time yearly administration, for a period of six to 10 years. A single dose of DEC is capable of destroying as much as 80 to 90 per cent of germs present in the body.

The District Medical Officer, D. Vimal Raj, the joint director (RFTRC), S.M. Koya, the assistant DMO, Sylaja Mohan, the mass media officer, C. Durairaj, and the senior biologist, K. Chandrika, were present at the press meet.

Filaria preventive measures were launched in 1977 under the aegis of the World Health Assembly, as part of a programme to eradicate the infection from around 80 countries, which had been identified as endemic areas.

The activities of the Filaria Control Programme in Kerala is urban-centred. The two-pronged efforts focus on destruction of larva of mosquitoes which spread filaria, besides providing treatment to those infected.

In Kozhikode District, one out of six persons are reportedly infected or carriers of the germ, according to a recent study.

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