SCALING LIFE: IAD’s Integrated Medicine for Effective Treatment of Lymphatic Filariasis Morbidity and Disability in India
SCALING LIFE: IAD’s Integrated Medicine for Effective Treatment of Lymphatic Filariasis Morbidity and Disability in India Funded by the Gates Foundation India accounts for over 40% of the global burden of Lymphatic Filariasis (LF), a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that severely impacts rural communities. The Indian National Filaria Control Programme was launched in 1955. Subsequent policy prioritised disease elimination through Mass Drug Administration (MDA) and vector control. However, despite the Government’s Morbidity Management and Disability Prevention (MMDP) services through the provision of free hygiene kits (bucket and soap), advanced filarial lymphedema (ISL stage 2 & 3; WHO grade 4-7) patients continue to struggle with incapacitating disability because of poor treatment options. The Institute of Applied Dermatology (IAD) in Kasaragod, Kerala, has pioneered a globally acclaimed, integrated medicine approach that combines modern medicine with Ayurveda and Yoga, following...