MDA is a campaign-style strategy used to administer drugs to at-risk populations in a given area, regardless of disease status. Because MDA is scalable and cost-effective, it has become a key tool to reduce disease occurrence and transmission in endemic areas and, in some cases, eliminate infections.
MDA programs leverage technology to map and track disease, use data to measure impact, and identify missed opportunities for drug administration. MDA programs create awareness and mobilize entire communities. In the world’s most endemic areas, MDA is one of the most effective tools to reach the control and elimination goals set forth by WHO’s road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030.
MDA implementation follows a six-step process, with three broad stages:
- Pre-MDA—Preparing and gathering stakeholder momentum for the MDA campaign.
- MDA—Annual administration of preventive chemotherapy to the target population.
- Post-MDA—Monitoring and evaluating the performance of the MDA campaign.
Three stages of MDA implementation process
Neglected tropical diseases. World Health Organization website. Accessed May 12, 2021.
