Manokwari (ANTARA) – The West Papua Provincial Health Office is focusing on implementing a mass drug delivery program to prevent the spread of filariasis or elephantiasis and helminthiasis in nine regions.
According to the Head of the West Papua Provincial Health Office, Otto Parorongan in Manokwari, Wednesday, this year the Filariasis Mass Prevention Drug (POPM) program was implemented in Manokwari City, South Manokwari Regency, Sorong Regency, Sorong City, Kaimana Regency, Fakfak Regency, Teluk Bintuni Regency, Maybrat Regency, and Tambraw Regency.
He said that the West Papua Provincial Health Office coordinated with the district and city health offices in preparing puskesmas to carry out POPM Filariasis in October 2021.
The Head of the Health Office appealed to residents aged two to 70 years in the nine POPM target areas to be invited to visit the puskesmas to take medicine to prevent elephantiasis.
“The people of West Papua must be free from elephantiasis and helminthiasis. Protect our families now, don’t get infected with this disease,” he said.
Otto explained that the Health Office will also conduct a survey to check the transmission of filariasis in Teluk Wondama, Raja Ampat, and South Sorong Regencies, which in five rounds of POPM implementation have reached a minimum coverage target of 65 percent.
“We hope these three districts pass the initial survey, because if they don’t pass, they will repeat two more rounds,” he said.
Head of the Communicable Disease Prevention Section at the West Papua Provincial Health Office, Edi Sunandar, said that 12 of the 13 regencies and cities in West Papua which are classified as filariasis endemic areas carry out filariasis POPM.
“Arfak Mountains Regency does not implement POPM because the initial survey results did not find microfilariae, while 12 other regencies/cities were declared endemic for filariasis,” he said.
Filariasis or elephantiasis is swelling of the legs that occurs due to infection caused by filarial worms. The parasite that causes filariasis is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito.
Edi explained that the transmission of the disease could be prevented by protecting oneself from mosquito bites and taking filariasis prevention drugs.
“Prevention efforts can also be carried out with POPM for the target population aged two to 70 years to kill filarial worms and intestinal worms in the human body,” he said.
In order to break the chain of filariasis transmission, he said, at least 65 percent of the population of West Papua must take filariasis prevention drugs together in five rounds.
“Filariasis prevention drugs can also kill intestinal worms, so that it has an impact on preventing cases,” he said stunting, “he said.
The West Papua Health Office recorded 620 chronic cases of filariasis or elephantiasis and worms in its working area from 2015 to 2021.
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236 districts and cities are classified as endemic areas for elephantiasis
Pewarta: Hans Arnold Kapisa
Editor: Maryati
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