Uttar Pradesh’s next anti-filaria campaign will target residents who have never taken preventive medication or have repeatedly been missed in earlier rounds, with door-to-door outreach planned across 53 planning units in 16 districts from November 19 to December 7.
The mass drug administration drive will rely on Accredited Social Health Activists conducting household visits to check residents’ medication histories and identify people who have remained outside previous campaigns. The state health department is also using awareness activities, including street plays, to address misconceptions about filariasis and the need for preventive medication.
Officials said the campaign is designed to improve coverage by focusing on the reasons people decline or skip the drugs. Some residents do not take the medication because they feel healthy, are unaware of the long-term complications associated with filariasis or are concerned about possible side effects. The revised approach combines household-level identification with community communication before the distribution period begins.
Members of the Patient Stakeholder Platform have been conducting street plays to explain the preventive role of the medicines. The outreach has already produced responses in parts of Kanpur Nagar and Sitapur. In six villages in Kanpur Nagar’s Bidhnu block, several residents who had never taken the medication agreed to participate after attending performances last week.
Ramshri, a resident of Ramaipur village, said the performance helped her understand the importance of the medication and that she would encourage her family and neighbours to take it. Shanti, from Magrasa, had earlier experienced nausea and dizziness after taking the drugs but agreed to participate after her concerns were addressed, according to the report.
Residents of Sitapur’s Parsendi block also said they had previously seen little reason to take the medication because they had no symptoms. The campaign’s messaging has focused on explaining that the medicines are intended to prevent the disease rather than treat symptoms that are already visible.
State filaria officer Dr A K Chaudhary said preparations had been completed and medicines had reached all 16 districts. He said officials from the education departments and the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission had been trained to improve coordination. Training with the Panchayati Raj department was scheduled for the same week.
The campaign’s stated target is to ensure that more than 90% of the population in each planning unit consumes the medication under direct supervision. Officials said health workers would prioritise people who had never taken the drugs or had previously refused them, while also checking eligibility and following up with residents who were missed.
The 16 districts covered by the drive are Kanpur Nagar, Unnao, Kanpur Dehat, Chitrakoot, Sitapur, Shahjahanpur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Shravasti, Prayagraj, Gonda, Hardoi, Kannauj, Ballia, Farrukhabad, Fatehpur and Kaushambi. The next operational milestone is the start of the mass drug administration round on November 19, continuing through December 7.
