The Milenge District Public Health Office has announced that the authority is set to commence the Elephantiasis mass drug administration exercise in the district.
Milenge District Public Health Officer Geoffrey Mutiti says the elephantiasis drug administration has been necessitated to eliminate the disease which has a high prevalence rate in the area.
Mr Mutiti told ZANIS in an interview that the exercise that is scheduled to commence next week, will be preceded by sensitisation sessions in the community, and schools on the importance of taking the drug.
He added that the program is being done with support from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and is aimed at interrupting transmission, in its early stages.
Mr. Mutiti added that the disease which is transmitted by mosquitoes has no cure hence the need for residents to take the preventive medication.
And Milenge District Commissioner Kunda Chibilo says government remains committed to safeguarding the health of its citizenry.
Mr. Chibilo has also called on residents allow the officers from the ministry of health carry out the exercise, in order to safeguard the district from any possible cases of elephantiasis.
Mass drug administration to prevent the disease that has no cure? Probably testing a controversial drug, using people as test bait. You can’t trust Zambian health authorities anymore. Is this not how HIV/AIDS was introduced, using shared needles.
There is not enough in the report to explain why Liverpool group believe this drug effective. Where else has this drug been proven to be safe?
What are you going on about? Filariasis has been treatable for years guys.