Sarangani targeted to be filariasis-free by 2018

SARANGANI, Philippines – This province is on target with eliminating filariasis by 2018. 

Dr. Teogenes Baluma, Region 12 director of the Department of Health (DOH), made this announcement during the recent Consultation Workshop on the National Filariasis Elimination Program (NFEP) and Mass Drug Administration (MDA) in General Santos City. 

Filariasis is a parasitic disease transmitted by blood-feeding arthropods, mainly black flies and mosquitoes.

“We target that all provinces in the region be filariasis-free by 2018. Sarangani province can achieve this goal even before 2018,” Baluma said.

North Cotabato and South Cotabato, according to Baluma, have been declared filariasis-free by the DOH in 2011 and 2013, respectively.

Within the region, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat are in the process of conducting MDAs in both public and private schools.

“Filariasis is among the easiest to eliminate compared to other mosquito-related diseases. We have the necessary medication and there is no reason for us to lag behind the 2018 goal,” Baluma said.

Royfrextopher Boholst, regional filariasis coordinator, meanwhile, said Sarangani will conduct its last MDA in July.

The MDA is conducted yearly and done within a five-year span. After each MDA, a transmission assessment survey is conducted by the health office.

“The micro-filaria should be less than one percent in each site. The micro-filaria in five out of seven municipalities in Sarangani is already less than one percent. So, there is a big possibility for Sarangani to be declared filariasis-free before 2018,” Boholst said.

One of the criteria of the health office in conducting TAS is for a province to have at least five good MDAs. An MDA is considered good if its coverage is equal to or more than 65 percent, a number set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

During the past years, WHO provided the medicine for filariasis. Recently, a Philippine-based manufacturer was able to produce the medicine required in treating filariasis.