WHO Declares India Free of Lymphatic Filariasis
The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially certified India as having eliminated Lymphatic Filariasis as a public health problem.
2-Minute Summary (TL;DR)
- WHO certifies India as free of Lymphatic Filariasis (LF).
- Elimination achieved through Mass Drug Administration (MDA).
- India previously accounted for 40% of the global LF burden.
- Post-elimination surveillance to continue for five years.
How This Topic is Tested in Competitive Exams
| Exam | Frequency | Approx. Marks | What Gets Asked |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSC (CGL / CHSL / MTS) | Medium | 2–4 | Miscellaneous GK including appointments, books, summits, and records appears in SSC. |
| UPSC / State PCS | Low | 2–5 | UPSC focuses on depth, not breadth. General items are tested only when they have policy relevance. |
| State PCS / PSC | Medium | 3–5 | Miscellaneous GK is tested across all state exam categories. |
What to Memorize from This Topic
- Appointments: new heads of organizations, ministries, and international bodies
- Books and authors in the news — especially by current heads of state or notable personalities
- First-ever achievements: India's firsts, world firsts, records broken
- Summits and their dates, venue, and key declarations
- Obituaries: notable personalities, their field, and contribution
Practice Questions
Q1. Which disease was recently declared eliminated in India by the WHO?
- Malaria
- Tuberculosis
- Lymphatic Filariasis
- Diabetes
Explanation: India was recently certified free of Lymphatic Filariasis (Elephantiasis) by the WHO.
Q2. What was the primary strategy used to eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis in India?
- Mandatory Vaccination
- Mass Drug Administration (MDA)
- Surgery for all patients
- Complete lockdown of endemic areas
Explanation: Mass Drug Administration (MDA) was the core strategy used to break the transmission of the disease.
How to Prepare Current Affairs for Government Exams
For general current affairs, read the PIB (Press Information Bureau) daily digest. It covers government announcements that directly map to exam questions.
Maintain a 'Monthly Top 50' list — the 50 most important facts from the month. Revise this before every mock test.
Focus on news from the last 6–8 months before your exam date. Older news rarely appears unless it was a landmark event.
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