How Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis as a Public Health Problem in the Kingdom of Cambodia was Achieved

How Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis as a Public Health Problem in the Kingdom of Cambodia was Achieved
March 3, 2023 Editorial Reszon

Cambodia was once endemic for lymphatic filariasis (LF), but through a concerted effort by the government and international partners, the country has successfully eliminated the disease as a public health problem.

One of the key interventions for eliminating LF is MDA (Mass drug administration), which involves administering a combination of antiparasitic drugs (such as albendazole and ivermectin) to entire at-risk populations. The effectiveness of MDA was proven with transmission assessment surveys. These found that less than 1% of school children had antigenemia in 2010, which fell to 0% in both 2013 and 2015.

To support the MDA campaign, Cambodia also engaged in community education and mobilization efforts. This involved raising awareness of the disease and its causes, promoting the importance of taking medication, and addressing misconceptions and concerns about the treatment.

A separate survey in one province in 2015 using Brugia Rapid tests (Reszon Diagnostics, Selangor, Malaysia) to test for LF antibody found one child positive among 1677 children, with a critical cut-off of 18.

The Cambodian government also worked to improve disease surveillance and monitoring systems to identify and track cases of LF. This involved building a network of trained healthcare workers who could identify cases of the disease, and using a variety of tools to collect and analyze data on the disease’s prevalence.

Finally, a key factor in Cambodia’s success was the strong partnerships and coordination among various stakeholders, including the government, non-governmental organizations, and international partners such as the World Health Organization.

Through these strategies, Cambodia was able to achieve the elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem in 2018.

 

Brugia Rapid point-of-care cassette test manufactured by Reszon Diagnostics is recommended by WHO for use during Transmission Assessment Surveys (TAS) to detect IgG4 antibodies against Brugia spp. in human blood samples.

Brugia Rapid Test