WHO Declares Niger as the First African Country to Eliminate Onchocerciasis.
International
On January 31, 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Niger as the first African country to achieve the elimination of Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness.
- Niger's success marks the second time the country has eliminated a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD), having previously been certified free of dracunculiasis (Guinea-worm disease) transmission in 2013.
- Niger joins four other countries—Colombia (2013), Ecuador (2014), Mexico (2015), and Guatemala (2016)—that have been verified by WHO for eliminating onchocerciasis.
- As of December 2024, 54 countries worldwide had successfully eliminated at least one NTD. WHO's goal is to see 100 countries eliminate at least one NTD by 2030.
Main Point :- (i) To eliminate Onchocerciasis, a country must show 95% statistical confidence in stopping transmission before ending Mass Drug Administration (MDA). Caused by the Onchocerca volvulus parasite and spread by black fly bites, it is the second leading infectious cause of blindness after trachoma, mainly affecting rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa, Yemen, and Latin America.
(ii) Niger's fight against Onchocerciasis began in 1976 under WHO’s OCP with vector control measures like insecticide spraying. In 2008, it launched MDA with ivermectin and albendazole to treat Onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis. By 2014, these efforts reduced prevalence from 60% to just 0.02%.
(iii) On January 31, 2025, WHO declared Niger the first African country to eliminate Onchocerciasis, following its 2013 elimination of dracunculiasis. Niger joins Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Guatemala in achieving this milestone. As of December 2024, 54 countries had eliminated at least one Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD), with WHO aiming for 100 by 2030.
About Niger
PM : Ali Lamine Zeine
Capital : Niamey
____________________________
