Never Treated Individuals

The protocol defines never treated individuals as people who missed the previous five consecutive MDA rounds in the area. The role of never treated individuals in LF transmission is considered a high-priority research area. Existing studies leave evidence gaps because they were generally not conducted exclusively among never treated individuals. Never treatment can be intentional or unintentional. Unintentional non-participation may result from absence, lack of awareness, pregnancy or lactation, work migration, remoteness, or access barriers.