Toward the elimination of lymphatic filariasis in the Democratic Republic of Congo: progress, perspectives, and strategic directions

• Published in: Frontiers in Tropical Diseases
• Main Authors: Sylvain Mupoyi, Jean Kalle Kalenga, Kelly Zongo, Martha Mberu, Naomi Pitchouna Awaca Uvon
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-06-01
• Subjects: lymphatic filariasis; Democratic Republic of Congo; elimination; mass drug administration; neglected tropical diseases; WHO targets
• Online Access: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fitd.2025.1605161/full

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has achieved important milestones in its national effort to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF), a disfiguring neglected tropical disease (NTD) that historically threatened more than 53 million people. Despite persistent challenges related to financing, infrastructure, and geography, the national program has reached 100% geographic coverage of endemic implementation units (IUs) and has successfully transitioned nearly 40% of targeted populations out of mass drug administration (MDA) for LF. This Perspective article highlights this promising progress in the DRC by tracing the trajectory of LF control in the DRC—from early mapping and pilot efforts to nationwide scale-up—and discusses the critical elements enabling this progress, including community engagement, diagnostic innovation, integrated delivery platforms, and strategic partnerships. The article also highlights the urgent need for sustained investment in light of recent global health funding cuts, which risk reversing decades of progress. Finally, it explores the path forward toward achieving WHO’s 2030 elimination goal, stressing the importance of data-driven approaches and post-treatment surveillance.