NEPALGUNJ, FEBRUARY 23
A campaign to administer medicine against elephantiasis has begun in Banke. The medicine will be provided to patients from March 13.
Banke District Coordination Committee decided to move ahead with the campaign in full swing. DCC Coordinator Ajaya Kumar Shreebastav announced that the DCC would award local levels that administer anti-filariasis medicines to 100 per cent of the population.
He urged the authority concerned to receive the award after completion of the task. He added that local levels could not receive their prizes last year though the DDC had announced the provision of awards.
Banke Health Office Chief Dhirjung Shah said the condition in the district had worsened as only 74 per cent of people had received the medicine against filariasis.
He added they had started special campaign given the high risk of the disease in Rajhena of Kohalpur and wards 4 and 5 of Nepalgunj.
Around 53 per cent of patients has taken the medicine in Nepalgunj.
With the initiatives of people''s representatives, political parties, civil society, the special campaign kicked off after the prevalence of the disease worsened.
Deputy Mayor of Nepalgunj sub-metropolis Uma Thapamagar, Chief District Officer Ram Bahadur Kurumbang, representatives of political parties and civil society leaders, among others, had attended the DCC meeting to endorse the anti-filariasis drive.
The campaign was launched after the disease was not contained for 11 years. The medicine was administered 10 years ago. Experts advised that patients needed to take medicines for six years to be rid of the disease.
A version of this article appears in the print on February 24, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
