Clinical profile and Mass Drug Administration coverage in patients with lymphatic filariasis: A descriptive study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Lymphatic filariasis (LF), a tropical illness caused by mosquito-borne parasites, is a serious public health concern in endemic areas such as Jharkhand, India. The illness continues despite efforts by the World Health Organization and the Mass Drug Administration (MDA). This study aims to investigates the clinical and demographic profiles of patients with LF and assesses coverage of MDA.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 100 patients with LF who presented to the General Surgery Outpatient Department. Interviews, clinical exams, and semi-structured questionnaires were used to obtain information about sociodemographic profile, clinical symptoms and MDA coverage. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were used to find the association between clinical profile, drug consumption, and sociodemographic profiles.

RESULTS

The study revealed that participants were mostly middle-aged, married (55%), from low-income families (86%), and had varied degrees of hydrocele and lymphedema, with nearly 70% experiencing scrotal enlargement. Furthermore, 44% of patients reported insufficient MDA coverage. There were significant connections found between the size of the hydrocele ( < 0.01) and actual drug consumption ( < 0.01) with socioeconomic status.

CONCLUSIONS

The study highlights important clinical, sociodemographic patterns, and reveal MDA coverage gaps among patients with LF. There is a need of targeted education and enhanced treatment access to improve MDA effectiveness and achieving LF eradication by 2030.