BACKGROUND: A Global Programme to Eliminate @entity3754 was launched in 2000, with mass drug administration ( @entity1865 ) as the core strategy of the programme. After completing 13 years of operations through 2012 and with @entity1865 in place in 55 of 73 endemic countries, the impact of the @entity1865 programme on microfilaraemia, hydrocele and @entity4269 is in need of being assessed. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: During 2000-2012, the @entity1865 programme made remarkable achievements - a total of 6.37 billion treatments were offered and an estimated 4.45 billion treatments were consumed by the population living in endemic areas. Using a model based on empirical observations of the effects of treatment on clinical manifestations, it is estimated that 96.71 million LF cases, including 79.20 million microfilaria carriers, 18.73 million hydrocele cases and a minimum of 5.49 million @entity4269 cases have been prevented or cured during this period. Consequently, the global prevalence of LF is calculated to have fallen by 59%, from 3.55% to 1.47%. The fall was highest for microfilaraemia prevalence (68%), followed by 49% in hydrocele prevalence and 25% in @entity4269 prevalence. It is estimated that, currently, i.e. after 13 years of the @entity1865 programme, there are still an estimated 67.88 million LF cases that include 36.45 million microfilaria carriers, 19.43 million hydrocele cases and 16.68 million @entity4269 cases. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The @entity1865 programme has resulted in significant reduction of the LF burden. Extension of @entity1865 to all at-risk countries and to all regions within those countries where @entity1865 has not yet reached 100% geographic coverage is imperative to further reduce the number of microfilaraemia and @entity102 cases and to reach the global target of interrupting transmission of LF by 2020.

Progress and impact of 13 years of the global programme to eliminate XXXX on reducing the burden of filarial disease.

@entity4269 :: ('MESH:D008209', 'Disease') :: ['lymphedema'] @entity3754 :: ('MESH:D004605', 'Disease') :: ['Lymphatic Filariasis'] @entity1865 :: ('CHEBI:566274', 'Chemical') :: ['MDA'] @entity102 :: ('MESH:D002908', 'Disease') :: ['chronic disease']
@entity3754 :: (MESH:D004605,Disease) :: ['lymphatic filariasis']
