PATNA, Jan. 24 -- Bihar will launch an effectively fortnight-long mass drug administration (MDA) campaign from February 10 to 27 to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), a debilitating disease that damages the lymphatic system and can cause painful swelling, disability and social stigma, state health minister Mangal Pandey said on Friday.

Addressing a state-level pre-MDA mega event at the Urja Auditorium, Pandey urged health workers - particularly surgeons - to intensify efforts to eliminate hydrocele, a common manifestation of filariasis, by July this year.

The minister, at a similar programme in August 2024, had set a six-month deadline to eliminate hydrocele cases. Of the 18,445 cases identified at the time, 17,618 surgerie...