Elephantiasis (lymphatic filariasis) is still prevalent in nine South East Asian countries including Myanmar and remains a public health problem, said Yangon Region Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein.

About 1,400 million populations are living in 73 countries which are in danger of being infected with elephantiasis. Of them, 120 million populations have been affected with elephantiasis. More than 40 million populations suffer one of elephantiasis symptoms while more than 70 million populations show no symptom, he added.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Sri Lanka and Maldives as “filariasis free” as less than one in 1,000 populations has elephantiasis.

Lymphatic filariasis is still prevalent in 52 countries. A total of 856 million populations are in danger of being infected with elephantiasis. The WHO decided to eliminate the prevalence of filariasis by 2020, at its 50th conference in 1997.

According to the findings, the number of districts in Myanmar with the prevalence of filariasis declined from 45 in 2001 to 35 in 2018.