02701nas a2200277   4500000000100000008004100001260003700042653005700079653002400136100001400160700001600174700001300190700001300203700001400216700001200230700001500242700001400257700001100271700001500282245016300297856009900460300001300559490000700572520183000579022001402409       2020                            d  bPublic Library of Science (PLoS)10aPublic Health, Environmental and Occupational Health10aInfectious Diseases1 aWillis GA1 aMayfield HJ1 aKearns T1 aNaseri T1 aThomsen R1 aGass KM1 aSheridan S1 aGraves PM1 aLau CL1 aHübner MP00aA community survey of coverage and adverse events following country-wide triple-drug mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis elimination, Samoa 2018  uhttps://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0008854&type=printable  ae00088540 v143 a<jats:p>The Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis has made considerable progress but is experiencing challenges in meeting targets in some countries. Recent World Health Organization guidelines have recommended two rounds of triple-drug therapy with ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine (DEC), and albendazole (IDA), in areas where mass drug administration (MDA) results with two drugs (DEC and albendazole) have been suboptimal, as is the case in Samoa. In August 2018, Samoa was the first country in the world to implement countrywide triple-drug MDA. This paper aims to describe Samoa’s experience with program coverage and adverse events (AEs) in the first round of triple-drug MDA. We conducted a large cross-sectional community survey to assess MDA awareness, reach, compliance, coverage and AEs in September/October 2018, 7–11 weeks after the first round of triple-drug MDA. In our sample of 4420 people aged ≥2 years (2.2% of the population), age-adjusted estimates indicated that 89.0% of the eligible population were offered MDA, 83.9% of the eligible population took MDA (program coverage), and 80.2% of the total population took MDA (epidemiological coverage). Overall, 83.8% (2986/3563) reported that they did not feel unwell at all after taking MDA. Mild AEs (feeling unwell but able to do normal everyday things) were reported by 13.3% (476/3563) and moderate or severe AEs (feeling unwell and being unable to do normal everyday activities such as going to work or school) by 2.9% (103/3563) of participants. This study following the 2018 triple-drug MDA in Samoa demonstrated a high reported program awareness and reach of 90.8% and 89.0%, respectively. Age-adjusted program coverage of 83.9% of the total population showed that MDA was well accepted and well tolerated by the community.</jats:p>  a1935-2735