Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has started a three-drug therapy for eradication of filaria as a part of a widespread mass drug administration effort across 11 districts.
The campaign was officially launched on Thursday in Angul, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Sonepur, Sundargarh, Jajpur, Ganjam, Dhenkanal, and Sambalpur, where people will be administered a combination of triple drugs (Ivermectin, DEC, and Albendazole) for the first time in the state.
Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Niranjan Pujari launched the campaign virtually and underlined the critical importance of ensuring that all eligible recipients receive the anti-filarial medicines to achieve the goal of eliminating lymphatic filariasis.
Following the official launch, 65,646 trained drug administrators, including ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists), will embark on a comprehensive outreach initiative across households in the 11 designated districts to ensure drug consumption to population of 1.8 crore individuals.
A health official emphasised that beneficiaries are required to ingest the medicines in the presence of these administrators to ensure proper distribution. “These medicines should be consumed by all except children under the age of two, pregnant women, and individuals with serious illnesses,” said Public Health director Niranjan Mishra.
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