Elimination of onchocerciasis from Africa: possible?

Human onchocerciasis, a parasitic disease found in 28 African countries, six Latin American countries and Yemen, causes blindness and severe dermatological problems. In 1987, efforts to control this infection shifted from vector approaches to include the mass distribution of ivermectin - a drug donated by Merck & Co. for disease control in Africa and for disease elimination in the Americas. Currently, almost 25 years later, with the Americas being highly successful and now approaching elimination, new evidence points towards the possibility of successful elimination in Africa. We suggest several major changes in the programmatic approach that through focused goal-directed effort could achieve global elimination of onchocerciasis by 2025.

Mackenzie CD ，Homeida MM ，Hopkins AD ，Lawrence JC ... -  《-》

Towards the elimination of onchocerciasis.

Thylefors B ，Alleman M 《-》

Control of onchocerciasis.

Boatin BA ，Richards FO Jr 《Advances in Parasitology》

Successful elimination of onchocerciasis (river blindness) vectors from isolated foci in two African countries.

Brattig NW 《-》

The Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas (OEPA).

Sauerbrey M 《annals of tropical medicine and parasitology》