Under the programme, Filariasis will be wiped out phase wise from all the 64 districts in the country by 2015. To create awareness among the people, through media, about the disease and its remedial aspects, an orientation workshop was held at the office of the Civil Surgeon, Panchagarh on May 26. The workshop was participated by 25 representatives of national and international electronic and print media.
Filariasis is an infectious disease and transmitted by different species of female mosquito.
This disfiguring disease was first noticed in the country in late sixties. An official of the Health Ministry, claimed that clinical patients of Filariasis in the country stands in between 10 and 30 million. According to Dr Moazzem Hossain, Project Manager, PELF, in early stages, the disease manifests as allergic symptoms like occasional fever, asthma and skin diseases while lymphatic blockage followed by permanent swelling of the legs, arms, genital organs, breast of the females and other parts of the body. Thus the disease caused immense pain in affected parts. The disease occurs mostly among poor people, women and children.