Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis ... - libdoc.who.int

23Table 1.11 Report of mid-term assessment by the South Asia Programme Review GroupCountry IU Sentinel site YearMDAbeganSri LankaColomboDistrictBaselineblood surveymf prevalence(%)mfdensity(mf/ml)No ofMDAroundsIU reported coverage1° MDA 2° MDA 3° MDA mf prevalence(%)Blood surveybefore 3rd or4th roundmfdensity(mf/ml)Reductionin mfprevalence(%)Dehiwala 2001 0.21 ND 4 76.7 80.0 85.3 0.12 ND 42.9Homagama 2001 0.01 ND 4 76.7 80.0 85.3 0.02 ND -100.0Kolonnawa 2001 0.36 ND 4 76.7 80.0 85.3 0.12 ND 66.7Kotte 2001 0.88 ND 4 76.7 80.0 85.3 0.29 ND 67.1Moratuwa 2001 0.21 ND 4 76.7 80.0 85.3 0.05 ND 76.2Piliyandala 2001 0.23 ND 4 76.7 80.0 85.3 0.2 ND 13.0Kaduwela 2001 0.07 ND 4 76.7 80.0 85.3 0.05 ND 28.6Maharagama 2001 0.04 ND 4 76.7 80.0 85.3 0.04 ND 0.0Colombo 2001 0.82 ND 4 76.7 80.0 85.3 1.32 ND -61.0Annual Report on Lymphatic Filariasis 2003ND: not determined.SOCIAL MOBILIZATIONThe importance of social mobilization in achieving targetedhigh coverage rates has been recognized by allthose participating in GPELF from its inception. Becausethe programme was new, however, and lacked experiencein social mobilization, it could only base itself onthe experience of other global public health programmesthat had a large-scale social mobilization component.The experience of the Polio Eradication Initiative, aclassic example, has revealed the importance of communicationsand social mobilization efforts for effectiveimplementation of eradication strategies. In the wordsof the Polio Eradication Initiative, social mobilization is“the variable with most positive effects in all countries”.Social mobilization has an equally important role toplay in terms of political advocacy, generating nationalresources and stimulating local public–private sectorpartnerships. Key lessons to be learned from publichealth programmes that are successfully implementingsocial mobilization are:• planning for social mobilization should be done inparallel to the main programme planning;• making early provision for capacity-building in communicationsand social mobilization is a prerequisitefor reaching and maintaining high coverage levels;• social mobilization cannot compensate for poormicroplanning, management and supervision.During the period 2000–2002, several country missionsand joint efforts with national programme managersand communications officers were undertaken tounderstand the complex process of social mobilizationwhere the national programme to eliminate LF (PELF),health services and the private sector could interactto influence and change people’s behaviour. The countriesinvolved — India (Tamil Nadu and Orissa States),Kenya, Sri Lanka and Zanzibar, the United Republic ofTanzania — provided the first examples of field experiencefor GPELF to implement. The various componentsof social mobilization such as capacity-building, integratingsocial mobilization planning with planning ofLF elimination activities, resource mobilization, documentation,research and tool development and evaluationwere taken into account. Because LF is not fatal itis not perceived as a priority disease by the majority ofendemic countries, making social mobilization an evenmore important and necessary element of LF eliminationprogrammes. The country missions revealed that itwas essential first to identify the required behaviouralchanges and then to develop a social mobilization planaccordingly.Chapter 1 Progress of the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis