Lymphatic filariasis — known commonly as just filariasis or elephantiasis — is the target of elimination attempts in India, with a deadline set for 2021. Is it likely that India will meet this goal? Currently, at least one million people in India are estimated to be infected by the disease. Even after the infection has […]
elimination
Lymphatic filariasis: Can India eliminate it?
At the beginning of October, the island nation of Kiribati announced that it had eliminated lymphatic filariasis. By 2021, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has pledged that India will do the same. What is lymphatic filariasis? Lymphatic filariasis, or elephantiasis, is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that attacks the lymphatic system. It is caused […]
The leprosy capital of the world
India is officially the leprosy capital of the world according to the World Health Organization (WHO); they estimate that 66 percent of all the world’s leprosy patients now reside in the country. Such news comes as a blow to India’s prior announcement — dating back to 2005 — of the elimination of leprosy. An estimated […]
Concern as cases of leprosy spike
India may have officially eliminated leprosy in 2005. However, the battle against the disease is far from over. A spike in the number of new infections has furthered alarm that the disease may be showing signs of a resurgence in India. 90,709 cases of leprosy were recorded in the 2017-18 period, statistics suggest. This is […]
Supreme Court seeks answers on treatment of leprosy patients
The Supreme Court is seeking answers from the Centre about the treatment of leprosy patients and India’s progress against the disease. The SC, responding to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy (VCLP), has directed the Centre to enact a central law barring discrimination against leprosy patients. It is […]
Disease elimination and the dangers of resurgence
Eliminating a disease is undoubtedly a positive achievement, typically signalling that a country is one step closer towards ridding itself of said disease entirely. However, this news brings with it the dangers of policymakers and populations becoming complacent – allowing for a potential resurgence. The qualification for the classification of elimination is a reduction of […]