<p>Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is endemic throughout the United Republic of Tanzania. The figures for Tanzania mainland show that 34 million people are at risk of infection and it is estimated that 6 million people have debilitating manifestations of the disease. The endemicity varies from being highly endemic along the coast with antigenemia levels of 45–60%, to low endemicity in the areas of Western Tanzania with endemicity of 2–4%, and varying endemicity in the regions in between, i.e. central Tanzania, the southern Highlands and north and northwestern Tanzania (Malecela et al, 2008). The levels of disease in the country are much higher than initially recorded and work is being carried out to calculate more accurate figures.</p>
