Laos marked another milestone in public health on 16 October as the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the complete eradication of lymphatic filariasis in the country.
This tropical disease, also known as elephantiasis, which causes severe swelling of the legs and arms, had been a severe issue for decades until the World Health Assembly resolved to eliminate lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem in 1997. Concrete steps, however, were made three years later, in 2000, with the WHO’s Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis.
Since the program’s launch, 13 of the 24 endemic countries and areas in the Western Pacific Region have been validated as having eliminated lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem, including Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Niue, the Marshall Islands, Palau, South Korea, Tonga, Vanuatu, Vietnam, and Wallis and Futuna.
“I would like to congratulate the Lao People’s Democratic Republic for being verified for the elimination of the neglected tropical disease of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, according to the news release on WHO website.
In recognition of this historical achievement, Ghebreyesus presented a plaque and certificate to Lao Minister of Health Bounfeng Phoummalaysith during the 74th session of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific on 16-20 October in Manila, the Philippines.
“Our country’s achievement has been made possible through years of collective efforts by dedicated health workers together with support from WHO and partners, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Asian Development Bank, the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation, Family Health International (FHI 360) and RTI International,” commented Bounfeng in a WHO press release.
The minister also ensured continuous effort to keep the elephantiasis at bay in the years to come.
Laos is the second country to have successfully eliminated elephantiasis as a public health in 2023, after Bangladesh.
To celebrate the accomplishment, the country will hold a national event in Attapeu province on 27 October.
Elephantiasis is a parasitic disease carried by mosquitoes that blocks the lymphatic system, causing severe swelling of the legs and arms, disfigurement, and disability.
From 2012 to 2017, local health authorities and partners administered preventive medication to high-risk communities to eradicate the disease, which remained endemic only in Attapeu province by 2002.
Efforts to eliminate the disease were also aided by measures to combat malaria and dengue fever, such as distributing mosquito nets treated with long-lasting insecticide and conducting health education campaigns across Laos, according to WHO.
