title: Coverage of, and compliance with, mass drug administration under the programme to eliminate lymphatic filariasis in India: a systematic review.
abstract: India's mass drug administration (MDA) programme to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (PELF) covers all 250 endemic districts, but compliance with treatment is not adequate for the programme to succeed in eradicating this neglected tropical disease. The objective of our study was to systematically review published studies on the coverage of and compliance with MDA under the PELF in India. We searched several databases-PubMed/Medline, Google Scholar, CINAHL/EBSCO, Web of Knowledge (including Web of Science) and OVID-and by applying selection criteria identified a total of 36 papers to include in the review. Overall MDA coverage rates varied between 48.8% and 98.8%, while compliance rates ranged from 20.8% to 93.7%. The coverage-compliance gap is large in many MDA programmes. The effective level of compliance, ≥65%, was reported in only 10 of a total of 31 MDAs (5 of 20 MDAs in rural areas and 2 of 12 MDAs in urban areas). The review has identified a gap between coverage and compliance, and potentially correctable causes of this gap. These causes need to be addressed if the Indian programme is to advance towards elimination of lymphatic filariasis.
authors.affiliation: Health Systems Research Division, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi 110 029, India babubontha@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Bontha V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Babu
authors.affiliation: Kerala Unit, National Institute of Virology, Indian Council of Medical Research, Alappuzha 688 005, India.
authors.forename: Gopalan R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Babu
mesh_terms: D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000193:education; D004049:Diethylcarbamazine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D060740:Disease Eradication; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004605:Elephantiasis, Filarial / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D005369:Filaricides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education; D006284:Health Plan Implementation / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008509:Medication Systems / Q000458:organization & administration; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation
chemical_list: D005369:Filaricides; D004049:Diethylcarbamazine
keywords: Compliance; Coverage; Global programme to eliminate lymphatic filariasis; Lymphatic filariasis; Mass drug administration; Systematic review