Health Protection Agency (HPA) has decided to form a taskforce to expand the screening programme for filariasis in various parts of the country.
HPA stated that the taskforce was established to reduce the spread of filariasis and increase public awareness. The measures were taken after filariasis cases were reported in Kulhudhuffushi City.
HPA stated that the awareness campaign will include conducting information sessions for expatriates and providing information to journalists, health workers in Male' and the atolls as well employees of the Ministry of Health. The screening campaign has also been expanded to more areas while HPA continues to take random samples in Kulhudhuffushi.
Furthermore, posters, videos and photos will be prepared in languages that expatriates can understand to disseminate information. In addition, a guideline on filariasis will be formulated and surveillance and reporting mechanisms will be further strengthened.
HPA will also conduct a programme to control mosquito populations. The programme aims to remove mosquito breeding grounds and clean such areas. The agency will also monitor mosquito breeding in large water bodies and disseminate information about mosquitoes through social media.
Earlier in December, foreign workers tested positive for filariasis during the screening campaign conducted in Kulhudhuffushi. The infected individuals came from regions where filariasis is already endemic. The Kulhudhuffushi Regional Hospital has conducted further screenings of foreign workers in the city on the recommendation of the HPA. So far, 19 individuals have tested positive for filariasis.
Filariasis is a parasitic infectious disease caused by filarial worms that are transmitted to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes. These parasites mainly affect the lymphatic system and can cause a range of symptoms, including severe swelling of limbs, fever, and pain.
In 1951, a survey conducted with the technical assistance of the WHO, found filariasis in 34 islands in the Maldives. The national effort to control filariasis in the Maldives was launched in 1968 and the disease was eradicated in 2007. The WHO certified the Maldives to have eliminated the disease as a public health problem in 2016.