A refined and updated health impact assessment of the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (2000-2020)
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Published version
Author(s)
Turner, Hugo C
Ottesen, Eric A
Bradley, Mark H
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background
Lymphatic filariasis (LF), is a neglected tropical disease (NTD). In 2000 the World Health Organization (WHO) established the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF). A key component of this programme is mass drug administration (MDA). Between 2000 and 2020, the GPELF has delivered 8.6 billion treatments to at risk populations. The last impact assessment of the programme evaluated the treatments provided between 2000-2014. The goal of this analysis is to provide an updated health impact assessment of the programme, based on the numbers treated between 2000-2020.
Methods
We updated and refined a previously established model that estimates the number of clinical manifestations and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted by the treatments provided by the GPELF. The model comprises three different population cohorts that can benefit from MDA provided (those protected from acquiring infection, those with subclinical morbidity prevented from progressing and those with clinical disease alleviated). The treatment numbers were updated for all participating countries including using data from the WHO. In addition, data relating to the estimated number of individuals initially at risk of LF infection were updated where possible. Finally, the DALY calculations were refined to use updated disability weights.
Results
Using the updated model and corresponding treatment data, we projected that the total benefit cohort of the GPELF (2000-2020) would consist of approximately 58.5 million individuals and the programme would avert 44.3 million chronic LF cases. Over the lifetime of the benefit cohorts, this corresponded to 244 million DALYs being averted.
Conclusion
This study indicates that substantial health benefits have resulted from the first 20 years of the GPELF. It is important to note that the GPELF would have both additional benefits not quantified by the DALY burden metric as well as benefits on other co-endemic diseases (such as soil-transmitted helminths, onchocerciasis and scabies) – making the total health benefit underestimated. As with the past impact assessments, these results further justify the value and importance of continued investment in the GPELF.
Lymphatic filariasis (LF), is a neglected tropical disease (NTD). In 2000 the World Health Organization (WHO) established the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF). A key component of this programme is mass drug administration (MDA). Between 2000 and 2020, the GPELF has delivered 8.6 billion treatments to at risk populations. The last impact assessment of the programme evaluated the treatments provided between 2000-2014. The goal of this analysis is to provide an updated health impact assessment of the programme, based on the numbers treated between 2000-2020.
Methods
We updated and refined a previously established model that estimates the number of clinical manifestations and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted by the treatments provided by the GPELF. The model comprises three different population cohorts that can benefit from MDA provided (those protected from acquiring infection, those with subclinical morbidity prevented from progressing and those with clinical disease alleviated). The treatment numbers were updated for all participating countries including using data from the WHO. In addition, data relating to the estimated number of individuals initially at risk of LF infection were updated where possible. Finally, the DALY calculations were refined to use updated disability weights.
Results
Using the updated model and corresponding treatment data, we projected that the total benefit cohort of the GPELF (2000-2020) would consist of approximately 58.5 million individuals and the programme would avert 44.3 million chronic LF cases. Over the lifetime of the benefit cohorts, this corresponded to 244 million DALYs being averted.
Conclusion
This study indicates that substantial health benefits have resulted from the first 20 years of the GPELF. It is important to note that the GPELF would have both additional benefits not quantified by the DALY burden metric as well as benefits on other co-endemic diseases (such as soil-transmitted helminths, onchocerciasis and scabies) – making the total health benefit underestimated. As with the past impact assessments, these results further justify the value and importance of continued investment in the GPELF.
Date Issued
2022-05-28
Date Acceptance
2022-03-30
Citation
Parasites and Vectors, 2022, 15 (181), pp.1-9
ISSN
1756-3305
Publisher
BioMed Central
Start Page
1
End Page
9
Journal / Book Title
Parasites and Vectors
Volume
15
Issue
181
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2022. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which
permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the
original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or
other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line
to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory
regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this
licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativeco
mmons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.
permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the
original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or
other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line
to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory
regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this
licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativeco
mmons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.
License URL
Sponsor
Medical Research Council (MRC)
Identifier
https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13071-022-05268-w
Grant Number
MR/R015600/1
Subjects
DALYs averted
GPELF
Health impact
Lymphatic filariasis
Programme evaluation
Elephantiasis, Filarial
Global Health
Health Impact Assessment
Humans
Mass Drug Administration
Neglected Diseases
Humans
Elephantiasis, Filarial
Neglected Diseases
Health Impact Assessment
Global Health
Mass Drug Administration
Mycology & Parasitology
1108 Medical Microbiology
1117 Public Health and Health Services
Tropical Medicine
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2022-05-28