Mass Drug Administration
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
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.
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.
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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
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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
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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