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Progress continues on elimination of river blindness from Western Hemisphere
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The fight to eliminate river blindness, also known as onchocerciasis, from North America and South America has met with success, according to new data presented at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene's 58th Annual Meeting by researchers from the Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas.
According to data presented, cases of onchocerciasis in the Americas are now limited to six countries: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico and Venezuela. But no new cases of complete blindness resulting from onchocerciasis have been recorded in North America or South America in the last decade.
Data also indicated that by the beginning of 2009, the entire population at risk for onchocerciasis in North America and South America was 360,189. This is a decrease of 31% from 525,543 in 2006.
Experts say the Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas, founded in 1992, has been vital in helping to fight onchocerciasis. The organization promotes twice-per-year ivermectin mass drug administration and strives to target at least 85% of the eligible populations of endemic communities.
"[The Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas] is a true success story made possible by the combined efforts of governments, industry and untold numbers of local people doing field work in extremely difficult conditions," Frank Richards, MD,director of the River Blindness Program at The Carter Center, said. "However, we cannot rest on our laurels. Critical work remains to be done to reach our goal of interrupting onchocerciasis transmission in the Americas by 2012."