Despite LF being a leading cause of disability globally, little research has been conducted on the lived experience of LF-disability. It remains unknown how LF-disability impacts quality of life (QOL) and what interventions improve the QOL for people with chronic manifestations of the disease.
The GPELF has acknowledged the need for disability metrics to capture the impact of LF-disability and the outcomes of intervention programs (WHO, 2010). However, there remain no LF-specific disability measurement tools. This research developed and field tested an LFspecific QOL tool for use in Bangladesh.
A literature review of the current studies of LF-disability found minimal research into the experiences of LF-disability. The majority of the qualitative research in the field was found to be lacking methodological rigour. However, there were 46 common findings across the studies indicating that some experiences may be common to LF-disability. These included negative impacts on daily activities, participation and psychological wellbeing. There were also a number of environmental barriers (such as attitudes and a lack of access to treatment) and personal factors (such as poverty) that compounded the impact of LF-disability for people across the studies. The review found no research on LF-disability in Bangladesh.