Niger has become the first country in Africa to successfully eliminate river blindness, a disease that has caused suffering for millions and is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed the achievement on Thursday, marking a major step forward in the fight against parasitic infections.
The disease, caused by a worm known as “Onchocerca volvulus”, is spread through the bites of infected black flies, which breed near rivers. F
or decades, river blindness has affected rural communities, forcing people to leave their homes and farmlands in search of safety. However, years of coordinated efforts have now brought an end to its transmission in Niger.
According to the WHO, the infection rate in the country has dropped from about 60% to just 0.02%.
This progress was made possible through a combination of measures, including the use of insecticides to control the fly population and the widespread distribution of medicines such as ivermectin and albendazole.
Efforts to curb the disease began as early as 1976, with mass drug administration playing a key role between 2008 and 2019.
Health experts say Niger’s success is the result of strong cooperation between the government, international organisations, and health workers on the ground.
The disease has long been a challenge for many African nations, not only causing blindness but also disrupting local economies by forcing people away from fertile lands near rivers.
River blindness remains one of the most common infectious causes of blindness after trachoma, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Yemen, with some cases in Latin America.
Niger’s latest achievement follows another public health victory in 2013, when it was certified free of Guinea worm disease.
