Chhapra: After the completion of a 17-day campaign against filariasis, during which medication was administered to all under the mass drug administration (MDA) programme, ASHA activists will now visit every household to distribute the medicine among those who were left out under the mop-up programme. The MDA campaign was launched on Feb 10. Additional director-cum-incharge and state programme officer, Dr Yagya Narayan Pathak, has asked the district vector-borne disease officer, Dr Dilip Kumar Singh, to conduct the mop-up activity with diligence and submit the report by March 15. “The mop-up programme will continue for a week till March 8 and will ensure that every person receives the necessary medication,” Dr Singh said. He also urged everyone to cooperate with the initiative. “Every healthy person must take this medication because symptoms of filariasis can appear even 5 to 10 years after being bitten by a female Culex mosquito,” Dr Singh added. He cautioned that the drug should not be taken on an empty stomach. On concerns about side effects, Dr Singh said, “Some patients may experience headaches, vomiting or itching, but these symptoms usually subside on their own after a short while.”
