Mass Drug Administration Campaign for Filaria Elimination to Run from February 10 to 25
Published on: February 05, 2026
By: BTNI
Location: Rajnandgaon, India
A meeting of the District Filaria Task Force was convened at the Collectorate conference hall under the chairmanship of Collector Mr Jitendra Yadav to review progress of the Filaria Elimination Programme and preparations for the Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign scheduled from February 10 to 25.
During the meeting, the Collector directed all concerned departments to ensure that anti-filarial medicines reach 100 percent of eligible individuals and that actual consumption of the drugs is monitored effectively. He stressed the importance of inter-departmental coordination and active participation of field staff to make the campaign successful.
The Collector also instructed officials to intensify public awareness activities during the MDA drive and appealed to citizens to cooperate with health workers by consuming the prescribed medicines, contributing towards making Rajnandgaon a filaria-free district.
Chief Medical and Health Officer-cum-District Malaria Officer Dr Netram Navratan informed that under the MDA campaign, medicine consumption booths will be set up from February 10 to 12 at anganwadi centres, educational institutions, railway stations, bus stands, and weekly markets. From February 13 to 22, health teams will conduct door-to-door visits to ensure medicine intake at household level. A mop-up round will be carried out from February 23 to 25 to cover any missed population. In addition, booths will operate near OPD areas of health institutions throughout the campaign period.
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Dr Navratan explained that filaria is a chronic and disabling disease, which can be effectively prevented through regular intake of medicines under the MDA programme. He added that the drugs administered during the campaign are safe, effective, and recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). He noted that mild side effects such as fever, headache, nausea, fatigue, or restlessness may occasionally occur after taking the medication. These symptoms are temporary and result from the medicine’s action or the destruction of microfilaria in the body, and usually subside on their own.
During the meeting, a district-level publication titled “Towards Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis – Rajnandgaon” was formally released. The book documents key achievements, including the decline in microfilaria rates through night blood surveys, MDA strategies, high drug consumption coverage, and detailed field-level interventions undertaken in the district.
The meeting was attended by Divisional Forest Officer Mr Ayush Jain, Additional Collectors Mr C.L. Markandey and Mr Prem Prakash Sharma, Municipal Commissioner Mr Atul Vishwakarma, SDM Mr Gautam Patil, and other senior officials.
