Elephantiasis, also known as lymphatic filariasis (LF), is a debilitating condition characterized by the thickening of the skin and muscles, primarily affecting the limbs, genitalia, and female breasts. Lymphatic filariasis is a major global health concern, affecting approximately 120 million people worldwide and having a significant impact on people's quality of life, mobility, and socio-economic status. Although LF is endemic in many parts of the world, including Africa, it is a neglected issue in Southern Africa, with little information available. According to the World Health Organisation, approximately 882.5 million people in 44 countries worldwide are at risk of contracting LF, making it the second most common vector-borne disease after malaria. The primary goal of this review was to assess the prevalence of elephantiasis in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. Lymphatic filariasis is endemic in four of the sixteen SADC countries, three countries have administered MDA to the population that required it and they are now under post-intervention surveillance, while LF is no longer a public health problem in Malawi. Global efforts to eliminate LF have been hampered by the non-availability of MDA in some SADC countries such as Angola, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Despite the implementation of mass drug administration programs, a review of the literature reveals gaps in knowledge about LF prevalence cases in SADC countries. Each country faces unique challenges and successes in combating LF due to varying levels of available data and healthcare infrastructure. Some SADC countries continue to bear the burden of LF-related diseases, necessitating ongoing disease prevention and elimination efforts. This review emphasizes the importance of ongoing research, data collection, and novel policies to combat the spread of elephantiasis disease in the SADC region and beyond.

Siphamandla Qhubekani Lamula

Elizabeth Bosede Aladejana

Emmanuel Adebowale Aladejana

Lisa Valencia Buwa-Komoreng

The Journal of venomous animals and toxins including tropical diseases

包括热带病在内的有毒动物和毒素杂志 (JVATITD) 是一份非商业性学术开放获取出版物，致力于研究毒理学、有毒动物和热带病的各个方面。其跨学科内容包括原创科学文章，涵盖动物、植物和微生物毒素研究。感兴趣的主题包括但不限于：毒液动物的系统学和形态学；毒素的生理学、生物化学、药理学和免疫学；不同动物、植物和微生物对毒液的流行病学、临床方面和治疗；抗蛇毒血清的开发和评价毒素衍生物产品；热带病（由病毒、细菌、藻类、真菌和寄生虫引起）的流行病学、临床方面和治疗，包括世界卫生组织定义的被忽视的热带病（NTD）。

The Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases (JVATITD) is a non-commercial academic open-access journal dedicated to the study of toxicology, venomous animals, and tropical diseases. Its interdisciplinary content includes original scientific articles covering research on toxins from animals, plants, and microorganisms. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: the systematics and morphology of venomous animals; the physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, and immunology of toxins; the epidemiology, clinical aspects, and treatment of venom from various animals, plants, and microorganisms; the development and evaluation of antivenoms; and the epidemiology, clinical aspects, and treatment of tropical diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, algae, fungi, and parasites, including neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) as defined by the World Health Organization.

《Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases》（JVATITD）是一份非商业性的学术开放获取期刊，专注于毒理学、有毒动物及热带病的研究。期刊的跨学科内容包括原创科学文章，涵盖动物、植物和微生物毒素的研究。感兴趣的主题包括但不限于：毒液动物的系统学和形态学；毒素的生理学、生物化学、药理学和免疫学；不同动物、植物和微生物对毒液的流行病学、临床表现及治疗；抗蛇毒血清的开发与评价；以及由病毒、细菌、藻类、真菌和寄生虫引起的热带病的流行病学、临床表现和治疗，包括世界卫生组织定义的被忽视的热带病（NTD）。

Category	Quartile
医学	3
医学, 热带医学	2
医学, 毒理学	3

Prevalence of elephantiasis, an overlooked disease in Southern Africa: a comprehensive review

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Journal Info

Category	Quartile
TROPICAL MEDICINE	3