A 16-day mass drug administration drive will be launched in Ranchi district of Jharkhand on Monday for the eradication of filaria, an official statement said.

The drive will be undertaken in Ormanjhi and Tamar blocks.

Drugs will be administered to people at 326 booths or camps set up in the two blocks for the purpose on Monday, while a door-to-door campaign will be held from February 11 to 25.

A population of 2,45,828, excluding pregnant women, children below two years of age and other seriously ill persons, has been identified for administering the drugs of diethylcarbamazine (DEC) and Albendazole, the statement added.

Ranchi civil surgeon Prabhat Kumar said, "The 16-day drive will start on Monday. On the very first day, the drugs will be administered at different booths set up at Anganwadi centres, schools, colleges and community buildings in Ormanjhi and Tamar blocks." "From February 11 to 25, a door-to-door campaign will be conducted. Health workers will go to the doorsteps of every household and administer the drugs," he said.

The drive will be conducted in these two blocks as incidences of filaria have been found during a recent transmission assessment survey, he added.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.