WORLD NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES DAY 2021 - Lymphostatic Elephantiasis - Lymphatic Filariasis & Podoconiosis - Secondary Lymphoedema

ELEPHANTIASIS

January 30 is recognized worldwide, as the day to highlight the “Neglected Diseases”. Some severe and neglected diseases are not only located in poor or developing countries, but also can be found in European and high-tech western nations, as is the case of Lymphostatic Elephantiasis. The medical term elephantiasis is used to identify a part of the body, which has undergone progressive deformity and trophic skin changes as a result of chronic lymphedema. Throughout the world, the lack of treatment or under-treatment of lymphedema makes elephantiasis a condition that is still present today. Read more about the best treatment for elephantiasis here.

Elephantiasis is preventable in the majority of cases, if the underlying cause which is lymphoedema, is treated in its initial mild stages. In the case of lymphatic filariasis (LF) it is recognized that in many cases it is first acquired in childhood, often as many as one-third of children are infected before age 5. This fact needs urgent implications by international health organizations and public health systems, for prevention campaigns and management for this childhood illness. The cornerstone for the “PREVENTION” of elephantiasis, is compression treatment of initial mild stage I lymphedema, as well as to reduce the incidence of dermato-lymphangio-adenitis (infectious cellulitis) and Lymphangitis, which are the cause of the subsequent worsening of the condition. Read more about DLA (Dermatolymphangioadenitis) in lymphedema here.

International awareness campaigns are needed for access to compression therapy and garments for patients diagnosed with chronic lymphoedema, many of them children, since this is the only possible way to stop the progression of the disease. Elephantiasis is a treatable condition, but it will never be eradicated from the world and will continue to be a severe public health problem, as long as there is non-treatment or under-treatment of lymphatic dysfunction (Lymphedema).

REFERENCES

• GERMAN SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY GUIDELINE: Diagnostics and Therapy of Lymphoedema.
• THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF LYMPHOLOGY: Consensus Document.
• Lymphatic Medicine: Paradoxically and Unnecessarily Ignored
• The risk of genital edema after external pump compression.
• Lymphatic Filariasis: An infection of childhood

Articles that may also interest you: 
(Click on the texts)

• FOCUS ON THE TERM ELEPHANTIASIS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR LYMPHOEDEMA 

• WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO AVOID INFECTIOUS CELLULITIS AND LYMPHANGITIS IN LYMPHEDEMA 

• WHAT IS THE RISK OF DERMATOLYMPHANGIOADENITIS (INFECTIOUS CELLULITIS IN LYMPHEDEMA 

• WHAT IS THE BEST TREATMENT FOR ELEPHANTIASIS

• WHY IS ELEPHANTIASIS A FORGOTTEN AND NEGLECTED DISEASE

• IS THERE DISTRESS ASSOCIATED WITH UNDER-TREATMENT OF LYMPHEDEMA - PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF LYMPHEDEMA

• WHY IS THE WORLD NOT TREATING A TREATABLE DISEASE LIKE LYMPHEDEMA. TURNING A BLIND EYE TO ELEPHANTIASIS

• WHAT IS THE BEST TREATMENT FOR LYMPHEDEMA

• IS LYMPHEDEMA DISABLING - INABILITY TO WORK AND DISABILITY RECOGNITION 

• INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE CORRECT TREATMENT FOR LYMPHEDEMA

• ELEPHANTIASIS IS NOT ONLY LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS 

• CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT CHILD ELEPHANTIASIS DUE TO PRIMARY AND SECONDRY LYMPHEDEMA 

• BEWARE WITH NEW TERMINOLOGY DESCRIBING LYMPHEDEMA TREATMENT

• WHAT KIND OF DOCTOR TREATS LYMPHEDEMA/LYMPHOEDEMA - WHICH MEDICAL SPECIALITIES ARE RELATED TO LYMPHEDEMA

• FAST TRACK SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY RECOGNITION FOR CHILDREN WITH LYMPHEDEMA

• INTERMITTENT PNEUMATIC COMPRESSION (IPC) PUMP DEVICES. SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS POR LYMPHEDEMA

• BEST PRACTICE PROTOCOL GUIDE FOR LYMPHOEDEMA (in Galician)

• A LYMPHEDEMA STORY - DOCTOR KENNETH GERSHENGORN AND THE MAUREEN DIGAN CLINICAL CASE

• WHY IS A BUTTERFLY THE SYMBOL FOR LYMPHEDEMA

• LYMPHEDEMA - INTERNATIONAL DISEASE CODING AND CLASSIFICATION

• WHAT DOES INTERMITTENT PNEUMATIC COMPRESSION PUMP THERAPY (IPC) DO, AND DOES NOT DO FOR LYMPHEDEMA. 

• WHAT IS PHLEBOLYMPHEDEMA.

• IS LYMPHEDEMA PAINFUL?

• WHICH COUNTRY HAS THE BEST LYMPHOEDEMA TREATMENT COVERAGE 

• WHAT IS THE BEST TREATMENT FOR PAEDIATRIC AND PRIMARY LYMPHOEDEMA

• SPANISH LYMPHEDEMA ASSOCIATIONS – SPANISH NATIONAL FEDERATION OF LYMPHEDEMA ASSOCIATIONS

LYMPHEDEMA INCIDENCE 
AND PREVALENCE
(click on the texts) 

CAMPAIGN 

For global awareness, it is being asked that the 

WHO - WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, 

name: 

"LYMPHEDEMA - AWARENESS & CURES"

as the World Health Day campaign 

  

  KATHY BATES

LYMPHEDEMA EMBASSADOR

SIGN THE PETITION HERE