Ann Trop Med Parasit
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Ann Trop Med Parasit · Jun 2006
A campaign of "communication for behavioural impact" to improve mass drug administrations against lymphatic filariasis: structure, implementation and impact on people's knowledge and treatment coverage.
In the mass drug administrations (MDA) that form the principal strategy of the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis, treatment coverages of at least 65%-80% will be needed if the programme is to be successful. In the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, where treatment coverages were typically <65%, a comprehensive strategy of advocacy and communication, called the "communication for behavioural impact" (COMBI) campaign, has been developed and implemented, in an attempt to improve treatment coverage. This strategy combined advocacy, aimed at state-, district- and village-level administrations, with communication activities targeted at individual communities. ⋯ The costs of the COMBI(+) and COMBI(+ +) strategies were only U. S.$0.002 and U. S.$0.009 per capita, respectively.