Working Together for a Lymphatic Filariasis-Free Future: Post-MDA Workshop

From 8 to 9 May 2025, the project team, in collaboration with Papua New Guinea’s National Department of Health (NDoH) and the World Health Organization (WHO), held a post-Mass Drug Administration (MDA) review workshop in Kimbe, the capital of West New Britain Province (WNBP). The event brought together key representatives from the Provincial Health Authority (PHA)’s health facilities to reflect on the outcomes of recent MDA rounds and explore the way forward.

In 2023 and 2024, WNBP rolled out MDAs using a triple-drug combination (Ivermectin, Diethylcarbamazine (DEC), and Albendazole) in line with WHO guidelines. The campaigns achieved strong coverage—reaching around 202,000 people (63%) in the first round and approximately 257,000 people (79%) in the second—effectively covering most of the provincial population.

Throughout the workshop, partners shared key lessons, reviewed performance, and put forward recommendations for ongoing improvements. The MDA was widely seen as cost-effective, helping streamline resources and cut down on time and expenditure. Importantly, it contributed to the broader goal of eliminating not just Lymphatic Filariasis (LF), but also several other Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). PHA staff also highlighted gains in capacity, noting that pre-MDA training improved their knowledge and diagnostic confidence across a range of conditions.
At the same time, on-the-ground staff raised practical challenges they faced—such as poor connectivity, limited road access to remote villages, staff shortages, and delays in the PHA’s systematic financial procedural. These issues underlined the logistical and operational hurdles still to be addressed.

Despite the challenges, the mood at the workshop was one of shared achievement. Participants expressed a strong sense of purpose and pride in having completed the MDAs, and the event served as a fitting close to this phase of the program in WNBP.