Anti-elephantiasis drug mandatory for 2.8m people

JAKARTA: Around 2.8 million people across the West Java regency of Bandung will have to take anti-elephantiasis medicine as part of a campaign against the disease, which will be launched by Regent Obar Sobarna on Tuesday.

A spokesman for the regional administration, Asep Syahdiana, told Antara on Monday that government officials, in cooperation with medical workers at community health centers, the Association of Indonesian Doctors (IDI) and the Association of Indonesian Midwives (IBI), would make sure the people took the drug to prevent the spread of the parasitic disease.

"Other than providing drugs, we will be responsible for monitoring the people and conducting regular checks to make sure the people take the medicine," Asep said.

The local government has secured 11 million doses of the medicine packages, to be distributed to residents for free through more than 11,600 health centers across the regency.

The regional health agency has registered almost 2.8 million people in the regency aged between 2 and 65 years old, who will receive the medicine.

The government has declared West Java an elephantiasis endemic province. - JP