Public consultation: Target Product Profiles for diagnostic tests to meet Onchocerciasis Elimination programme needs: mapping hypo-endemic areas to decide implementation of mass drug administration, and supporting decision for stopping mass drug administration and certifying areas
Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, affects an estimated 21 million people, with 99% of cases reported in 31 sub-Saharan countries (WHO, 2020a). The disease is caused by the filarial worm Onchocerca volvulus, which is transmitted by Simulium flies. Adult worms live in nodules, some of which are subcutaneous. Conversely, the embryos (microfilariae) can migrate through the skin, causing debilitating pruritus and skin disease, and to the eyes, leading to progressive and permanent blindness. Onchocerciasis is also hypothesized to lead to neurological disorders including epilepsy (Chesnais, 2020), nodding syndrome (Geelhand de Merxem, 2020) and stunted growth.
With more than 150 million doses of ivermectin distributed each year, the fight against onchocerciasis is a major international public health programme. Means to identify all populations in need of treatment are still required, and new diagnostics are needed to support all programmatic activities, especially in areas of low prevalence or low intensity of infection as well as to support evidence-based decisions to stop MDA when elimination of transmission of onchocerciasis is achieved.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is asking for feedback on both TPPs. Feedback is invited from experts in the industry, product development, parasitologists, the scientific community, NTD programme personnel and other technicians currently implementing WHO recommended Onchocerciasis elimination strategies.
Details of the TPPs may be found in the linked documents.
Any proposed revisions during the public consultation will be considered by the TPP working group before finalizing it. The final TPPs will be used for the development of diagnostics to improve decisions leading to the elimination of Onchocerciasis.