The actress and founding Ambassador for the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Alyssa Milano has joined forces with the “do good deeds” website, Tonic.com on Tuesday to raise money to continue the battle against the debilitating parasitic disease, lymphatic filariasis (LF).
The 38-year-old Milano wrote on the website:
I learned about a project in India that helps over 23,000 people suffering from LF by teaching them how to treat and care for themselves, literally putting them back on their feet. The program also educates their families and the community about the disease making it less stigmatizing.
There is no cure for people whose limbs have already been impacted by the disease, but there are cost effective, proven interventions that can prevent transmission and alleviate the severity of the disease in those who are already infected.
However, to keep the program alive it needs a major funding boost of $75,000. When you think about it, $75,000 isn’t very expensive — only about $3.25 per person, per year — a small amount of money can make a huge impact.
Read more about Lymphatic filariasis
According to the World Health Organization, Lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis, is a neglected tropical disease. Infection occurs when filarial parasites are transmitted to humans through mosquitoes. When a mosquito with infective stage larvae bites a person, the parasites are deposited on the person's skin from where they enter the body. The larvae then migrate to the lymphatic vessels where they develop into adult worms forming 'nests' in the human lymphatic system.
Infection is usually acquired in childhood, but the painful and profoundly disfiguring visible manifestations of the disease occur later in life. Whereas acute episodes of the disease cause temporary disability, lymphatic filariasis leads to permanent disability.
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