Elimination of human onchocerciasis: progress report, 2022–2023

Overview

The second leading cause of infectious blindness worldwide is transmitted by the bite of female simulium flies infected by Onchocerca volvulus parasites. The disease is known as onchocerciasis, or river blindness. The WHO Road map on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), 2021–2030,1 identified onchocerciasis as one of the diseases targeted for elimination. The targets to be reached by 2030 are to eliminate the need for mass drug administration (MDA) of ivermectin in at least 1 focus in 34 countries, in more than 50% of the population in at least 16 countries, and in the entire endemic population in at least 12 countries.

Some of the challenges to achieving these elimination targets include lack of national capacity and expertise to implement entomological surveys, lack of WHO guidance on completing elimination mapping and lack of a  strong partnership among stakeholders to ensure alignment. In this report, we describe how these challenges are being met, with publication of a new WHO entomology manual for programme managers, drafting of an onchocerciasis elimination mapping handbook and launch of a new alliance for onchocerciasis, the Global Onchocerciasis Network for Elimination (GONE).