A nation unburdened - Elimination of lymphatic filariasis in Maldives.

In 2016, Maldives was validated by the World Health Organization as one of only two of the nine endemic countries in the South East Asia Region to have successfully eliminated lymphatic filariasis. This achievement was the result of the WHO and Ministry of Health collaboration that began in 1951, the political commitment of the Government of Maldives, intensified efforts of the National Filaria Control Programme that began in 1968, and the unflagging determination of frontline health workers. Maldives is testament to the effectiveness of the strategies recommended under the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF). The achievements were possible due to sustained commitment to case finding, monitoring the implementation, coverage, and effectiveness of Mass Drug Administration (MDA), integrated vector control, morbidity management, and preventive chemotherapy. The children of Maldives can now look forward to a future free from this debilitating and stigmatizing Neglected Tropical Disease.