Improve sanitation eliminates “Big Fut” – Health Min.

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Thu, 2016-05-26 14:29 — Mohamed S

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation will soon embark on a mass drug administration to reduce Lymphatic Filariasis in the country.
During a media brief at the conference room of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, the Programme Manager for Neglected Tropical Diseases in Sierra Leone, Dr Yakuba Bah called on members of the public to improve in sanitation in their various communities.

He made this call as a result of how the Lymphatic Filariasis is transmitted, noting that the mosquito that transmit the disease thrive well in places with unsafe water, poor housing, poor sanitation and limited access to basic health care.
Dr Bah explained that there are 14 infectious and parasitic disease affecting poor and disadvantaged communities and this he said impairs education and economic development, hence promote acute poverty.
The health specialist said Lymphatic Filariasis “Big Fut” occurs when worms are transmitted to humans by mosquitoes, and infection is normally acquired in childhood but doesn’t show signs or symptoms until much later in adult life.
With support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Hellen Keller International, the Western Area District Health Management Team will conduct a mass drug administration of “Big Fut en Worm Meresin” to everyone above the age of 5 years from the 27th-31st May 2016 and the drugs will be free of cost.
Also, Dr Bah called on residents of various communities to collaborate as drug distributors will be moving from one community to another, noting that both static and mobile drug administration will be available.
He revealed that close to 150,000 people in Sierra Leone have never taken the medication which is once a year and there are about 1 billion around the world at risk of being infected.
Dr Bah warned that neglected tropical diseases can debilitate, deform, blind and even kill; therefore the public should take advantage of the opportunity to be part of the mass drug administration to eliminate “Big Fut” in Sierra Leone.
By Ade Campbell
Thursday May 26, 2016