By Claro A. Lanipa
PAGADIAN CITY – The Department of
Health-Center for Health and Development (DOH-CHD)- Zamboanga Peninsula in
collaboration with the city government of Pagadian through the City Health
Office (CHO) conducted an orientation on National Filariasis Elimination
Program (NFEP) last Thursday at Anastacia Pension House this city.
City Health Officer Dr. Noel Ceniza said the NFEP had
been implemented in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, and now including the city,
to reduce the transmission of the disease through a Mass Drug Administration
(MDA, which is being conducted during the month of November each year.
Dr. Nurussamsi C. Amilasan, medical coordinator for
mosquito-borne disease said lymphatic filariasis is an elephantiosis, painful
and disfiguring tropical disease caused by thread-like worms that live in the
human lymphatic system. “It is one of the leading causes of disability in the
world and can affect children, men and women young and old,” Dr. Amilasan
explained.
Lymphatic Filariasis maybe acquired during childhood.
It is a chronic parasitic infection caused by nematode parasites, transmitted
through mosquitoes. The parasites live in human lymphatic system and maybe
detected 5 to 15 years later, the young lady doctor explained.
In Zamboanga Peninsula, she said, DOH has positively
identified 25 endemic municipalities and two cities. Of these, three municipalities
are from Zamboanga del Sur,namely, Bayog, Lakewood and Kumalarang.
The activity was attended by health workers composed of
doctors, nurses, midwives and barangay health workers as well as non-government
organizations (NGOs) in the city.
With the battle cry, “Filariasis Sugpuin, Gamot ay
Inumin… Sang Beses Sang Taon,” the health department has targeted that by 2018
the country will be filariasis-free. (PIA9)