Success Story and Challenges Faced to Achieve ‘Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis’ Status in Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Tamil Nadu in South India is pioneer in Public Health Programme Innovations. Its health status indicators are better than other states in India. Lymphatic filariasis elimination (ELF) strategies initiated and piloted in Tamil Nadu. Thirteen districts and few wards in three corporations including Chennai are endemic for LF. Tamil Nadu government has many models in prevention and control of VBDs with innovative measures like constituting a state-level advisory committee, establishment of the Institute of Vector Control and Zoonoses (IVCZ) at Hozur, developing web-based surveillance system for vectors and VBDs (EDISIS), and conducting more than 10 MDAs for ELF. Tamil Nadu is the only state which has recognized lymphoedema as a disability and granted disability pension of Rs1000/PM for grade III and IV LF cases besides morbidity management. The public health department had faced a lot of challenges, but all of them had been overcome with the success of elimination of LF well ahead of other states in India in 2004 itself.