Topic Area

Mass Drug Administration

Last Updated: August 2021

Mass drug administration (MDA) of preventive chemotherapy drugs is the primary tool used to control and eliminate several neglected tropical diseases.¹ Expanding MDA coverage and promoting treatment compliance in communities are essential to interrupting infection transmission and reducing the negative health and social impacts of these diseases.²

Quick facts on Mass drug administration

MDA is the primary tool used in the control and elimination of five neglected tropical diseases: lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, soil-transmitted helminthiases, schistosomiasis, and trachoma. Between 2015 and 2019, over 1 billion people received treatment for at least one of these diseases each year through MDA programs.

66% of global at-risk population

received treatment through MDA in 2019

81 countries implemented MDA

in 2019, out of the 105 requiring PC through MDA

860 million at-risk individuals in world

are in need of treatment through MDA to prevent LF

Key Facts:

66 percent of the of the population requiring preventive chemotherapy, which accounts for 1,156 million people in 81 countries, received treatment by preventive chemotherapy in 2019 for at least one disease.¹
Of the 105 endemic countries still requiring preventive chemotherapy, 81 successfully implemented MDA programs in 2019.¹
In 2019, 860 million individuals globally were at risk of lymphatic filariasis and in need of preventive chemotherapy through MDA.

MDA 101

MDA is a campaign-style strategy used to administer drugs to at-risk populations in a given area, regardless of disease status. Because MDA is scalable and cost-effective, it has become a key tool to reduce disease occurrence and transmission in endemic areas and, in some cases, eliminate infections.³

What is MDA?

Coverage of MDA Globally

The number of at-risk individuals who have received treatment for neglected tropical diseases is growing steadily over the years. In 2019, 66 percent of the global at-risk population received preventive chemotherapy through MDA for at least one neglected tropical disease. Between 2010 and 2019, administration of preventive chemotherapy increased by more than 68 percent.

Where We Stand Today?

Our analysis conducted in Maharashtra and Odisha has identified common characteristics among high-performing MDA programs, such as an effective adaptation of national guidelines to their local context, a focus on strengthening staff capacity, and leveraging support from local networks for social mobilization.

Successful Factors in Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination

1
World Health Organization (WHO). Update on the global status of implementation of preventive chemotherapy (PC). Geneva: WHO; 2020. Accessed May 12, 2021. https://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/preventive_chemotherapy/PC_Update.pdf
2
Singh SK, Agarwal M, Mohan U, Pandey P. Filarial elimination in India missing its deadline–evidence from a cross sectional study of four districts of Uttar Pradesh. Int J Trop Dis Health. 2015;13(1):1-7. https://doi.org/10.9734/IJTDH/2016/21628
3
Webster JP, Molyneux DH, Hotez PJ, Fenwick A. The contribution of mass drug administration to global health: past, present and future. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2014;369(1645):20130434. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2013.0434

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