Tanah Bumbu targets free of filariasis in 2019

Batulicin, South Kalimantan 2/10 (AntaranewsKalsel) - The Tanah Bumbu government in South Kalimantan targets in 2019 the entire of its people free from elephantiasis disease or filariasis.

Head of Tanah Bumbu Health Agency H Damrah through the Head of Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Nurliana in Batulicin on Monday said in October 2017 the government implements Month of Filariasis Elimination (Belkaga) by simultaneously distributing elephantiasis medicine to the public.

"The concept is officers in 14 sub-districts will form cadres throughout their villages and will distribute elephantiasis medicines for all people in Tanah Bumbu," she said.

During the Belkaga the cadres will build posts in their respective villages, allowing the community to come get or take medicine directly on the spot.

The period of 2017 is the third year for Tanah Bumbu carrying out the Medication for Mass Prevention (POPM) from elephantiasis.

"This is the third year we implement elephantiasis disease medication for mass prevention," she said.

Hopefully 2019 on target, the people of "Bumi Bersujud" (a nickname for Tanah Bumbu) will be free from elephantiasis or filariasis, so that people live a healthy life quality to support Tridharma Development in the district.

To note, elephantiasis is a type of infectious disease caused by filarial worms and is transmitted through all sorts of mosquitoes that have bitten people whose blood containing filarial worm children.

Within a period of one to two weeks, a mosquito-in-worm child turns into a larva and if the mosquito bites a healthy person, then the larvae will move on to the healthy person.

According to a recent survey released by the Ministry of Health, Tanah Bumbu has a density of 2.3 per micloliter of filarial worm children in the blood of its population.

From these data, Tanah Bumbu is considered to be a high potential of filariasis transmission because the normal density in a region to be safe is under one microliter.

"Therefore we will carry Month of Filariasis Elimination  every year for five years to eliminate a frightening disease and are often regarded as a curse," she said.