Lymphatic Filariasis in Indonesia

Elimination Month and disease Awareness (5 October 2019)

Limphatic Filariasis (LF) commonly known as elephantiasis is one of the major public health problems in Indonesia. The infection occurs when filarial parasites are transmitted to human through mosquitos. The LF program has aimed to reduce and eliminate contagious of LF through MDA and to prevent disease susceptibility.

 

With the abovementioned spirit, on October 5, 2019, initiated by Indonesia Ministry of Health (MOH), Eisai has held its DEC stakeholders meeting which followed with educational event of socialization with Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) patients at a local assembly hall in Betun Malaka, Indonesia by provides DEC (diethylcarbamazine) tablets, a treatment for LF, free of charge to endemic countries through the World Health Organization (WHO) elimination program, and Eisai has provided about 1.9 billion DEC tablets to 28 endemic countries including Indonesia as of August 2019.

 

This meeting was held on the next day of BELKAGA (Bulan Eliminasi Kaki Gajah) conducted on October 4^th to declare the 5^th year of the National Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination Campaign in Indonesia.

 

Followed by the opening remarks by Dr Paskalia Frida Fahik, Head of Dinas Betun Malaka District, Dr. Aji Mulia Avisena M.Epid and dr. Eksi Wijayanti M. Epid from Sub Directorate Filariasis of the Indonesian Ministry of Health gave presentation on the current endemic status of the disease in Indonesia and its prevention for LF.  Meanwhile, Ms. Kamata, Deputy Executive Director of Knowledge Creation Dept., Eisai Co., Ltd., Ms. Estiyasa Handayani, DEC Manager of P.T. Eisai Indonesia, and Mr. Shrikant Deshmukh DEC Manager of Eisai Pharmaceuticals India Pvt. Ltd. provided presentations. The presentations were on Eisai’s hhc corporate philosophy, efforts on LF to establish partnership with local government, NGO, healthcare staff to provide not only DEC tablets free of charges but also solutions, and the DEC hhc project and the recent updates of Eisai’s activities and contribution in Indonesia and India.

 

This served the purpose to build strong cooperative relationship with various stakeholders among local government, cadre, medical doctor, Eisai as well as medical students from University of Gadjah Mada (UGM) who have joined the meeting, to understand the disease and its prevention for best solutions going forward. At their speech, the participants from the local authorities said that she was impressed with Eisai’s efforts and contribution in hhc projects in relation to DEC and the LF elimination.

 

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