Sri Lankan nurse delivers medicine to villagers to break the cycle of lymphatic filariasis infection.

GSK is an active partner in the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (commonly known as elephantiasis). This disfiguring tropical disease, passed to humans by mosquitos, threatens more than one billion people in 83 countries in tropical and subtropical areas of Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands and the Caribbean. It is one of the world's leading causes of disability and costs affected areas billions of dollars each year in lost productivity. GSK has committed itself to donating its anti-parasitic medicine, albendazole, to all endemic countries for as long as necessary to eliminate this disease. Albendazole, if given with another anti-parasitic medicine every year for at least five years, can break the cycle of lymphatic filariasis infection. The company has donated over 440 million treatments to 40 countries so over 100 million people, including 30 million children, have already benefited from the program.

Website: www.filariasis.org or www.gsk.com/filariasis