In a strategic health milestone, the World Health Organisation disclosed on Thursday that Niger has become the first African country to eradicate river blindness, a parasitic disease that is the second-leading cause of blindness in the world.
After being certified free of Guinea worm disease (dracunculiasis) in 2013, Niger has again attained a health milestone as the Wold Health Organisation announced on Thursday that the West African country has become the first African country and fifth country globally to eliminate river blindness, a parasitic disease that is the second-leading cause of blindness in the world.
The global health agency disclosed that « The combination of medicine and vector control had successfully eliminated transmission of onchocerciasis, as evidenced by the reduction in prevalence from approximately 60% to 0.02%, »
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus lauded Niger for « liberating its population from this blinding, stigmatising illness that causes so much human suffering among the poorest. »
Onchocerciasis which is the second-leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide, after trachoma is transmitted to humans through the bite of a black fly, mainly found near rivers, that is infected with the parasitic worm.
According to WHO, pivotal health success comes as a result of the cooperation between the government, the WHO and non-governmental organisations.
