INTRODUCTION OF AN INTEGRATED COMMUNITY-BASED BANCROFTIAN FILARIASIS CONTROL PROGRAM INTO THE MT-BOSAVI REGION OF THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS OFPAPUA-NEW-GUINEA

In mid-1987 a baseline microfilarial prevalence survey was conducted a mong five villages in the Mt Bosavi region of the Southern Highlands P rovince of Papua New Guinea. Through use of the Nucleopore filtration technique, it was determined that 48% of villagers had detectable micr ofilaraemia. The highest prevalence was documented in Fogomaiyu, where the microfilaraemia rate was 92%. On the basis of this initial survey and the expressed interest of the community, the Division of Health i n the Southern Highlands Province undertook an integrated community-ba sed pilot control program. The project used two principal control meth ods: (a) drug treatment with low-dose diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC) distributed to the community weekly and (b) vector control with perme thrin-impregnated bednets. Results six months after the intervention i ndicate that the program was successful in reducing microfilaraemia at Fogomaiyu village from 92% to 6%. The reduction is principally relate d to the effects of DEC, although the bednets, by limiting vector-pers on contact, are expected to reduce the incidence of both filariasis an d malaria.