Millions at risk of contracting elephantiasis

Over 30 million Tanzanians are at risk of contracting elephantiasis, a disorder of the lymphatic system caused by parasitic worms, according to the National Institute for Medical Research. "More than 90 percent of the population is in great danger and the situation could get worse if the trend is left unchecked," Hussein Mwinyi, the assistant minister for health, said on Monday at the beginning of a three-day workshop to assess progress made in efforts to eliminate the disease. The Ministry of Health launched a programme in 2000 aimed at eradicating the disease, but statistics released in early 2005 by the research institute and other health workers paint a grim picture. Under the ministry's programme, control measurements include improvement of hygienic conditions, use of mosquito nets and spraying insecticides on mosquito breeding grounds. Parasitic worms that are primarily transmitted by mosquitoes cause elephantiasis, or lymphatic filariasis. The disease damages lymphatic vessels, which leads to gross enlargement of the affected area, mostly limbs. The disorder occurs in tropical regions, particularly in some parts of Africa. The disease is curable, using drugs such as Mectizan and Albendazole. The National Institute for Medical Research surveyed at least 100 districts countrywide and attributed the high level of transmission to the presence of culex and anopheles mosquitoes, as well as the frequent movement of people. According to the institute, 4.4 million people have received treatment in various parts of the country since the programme was launched, not including the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam. "Over three million people from Dar es Salaam will be added to the list, bringing the number of attended patients to seven million," Mwinyi said. He said Tanzania was committed to eliminating the disease by the year 2015, at an estimated cost of US $20 million. Mwinyi added that the government had allocated $400,000 in 2005 for the implementation of the elephantiasis-control programme.