15-year-old Aduravoyem Abakikalu, taking Mectizan® in Nakong, Cameroon. © Suzanne Porter/Sightsavers

Africa without river blindness

Approximately 140 million people in Africa are at risk from river blindness, a disease caused by the bite of the black fly that breeds in fast flowing rivers. For a long time experts believed that river blindness could be successfully kept under control, but not totally eliminated, through taking a yearly dose of Mectizan®.

New evidence
However new evidence suggests that this method means it is possible to actually get rid of the disease for good and break its transmission, therefore reducing the need for continued treatment. Elimination of transmission will take time and effort, but if successful will result in the number of people blinded by the disease being dramatically reduced.

Stepping up the fight
Sightsavers with our partners will be at the forefront of this fight in the coming years. Last year we supported the training of 20,137 community volunteers to distribute the drug, and over 22 million people were successfully treated. Efforts were stepped up in Togo in 2008, where the first ever cross-border meeting with Ghana took place to discuss synchronising the distribution of Mectizan® along the borders of the two countries, in order to achieve a better coverage in light of the population movement in these areas. In Benin the first in-depth review took place between stakeholders such as Sightsavers, who were able to swap experience and expertise.

Find Out More

 

River blindness

Ghana

Togo