Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here to sign up for SAGE Journal Email Alerts today!

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Anna Salomi Kerketta
Right arrow Articles by Bontha Veerraju Babu
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Anna Salomi Kerketta,
Right arrow Articles by Bontha Veerraju Babu,
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

Clinicians' Attitude on Mass Drug Administration Under the Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis: A Qualitative Study From Orissa, India

Anna Salomi Kerketta, MBBS

Regional Medical Research Centre, Indian Council of Medical Research, Bhubaneswar, Orissa

Bontha Veerraju Babu, PhD

Social & Behavioural Research Unit, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi India, babubontha{at}gmail.com

The global program to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) is currently based on mass drug administration (MDA) with annual single dose of antifilarials. In India, the MDA is implemented by primary health centers (PHC) of the district health system. The aim of the present study was to explore the attitudes of clinicians working at PHC level in three districts of Orissa, India. The data are obtained from interviews of 50 clinicians (35 from PHCs and 15 private). Only 11 PHC clinicians and 1 private clinician opined that the elimination of LF is possible through MDA of diethylcarbamazine (DEC); and 40% PHC and 87% private clinicians strongly felt that the elimination is not feasible through MDA and that the yearly single dose of DEC was not efficacious. The remaining clinicians were unable to comment on the feasibility and efficacy of MDA. The indifferent attitudes arise from lack of knowledge or erroneous beliefs. A good understanding of the program through reorientation and rigorous training should be emphasized to make the MDA successful.

Key Words: global program • lymphatic filariasis • mass drug administration • qualitative study • India

Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health, Vol. 21, No. 1, 112-117 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1010539508327032
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?