Niger achieved a landmark in global health by becoming the first African country to eliminate onchocerciasis (river blindness), as verified by the WHO in January 2025. Onchocerciasis is a parasitic disease caused by the filarial worm Onchocerca volvulus, transmitted through the bites of infected Simulium blackflies that breed near fast-flowing rivers.
The disease can cause severe itching, skin lesions, and eventually blindness. It affects primarily sub-Saharan Africa. WHO's elimination criteria require at least 3 years of post-treatment surveillance data showing no new infections. Before Niger, WHO had verified elimination only in four countries of the Region of the Americas: Colombia (2013), Ecuador (2014), Mexico (2015) and Guatemala (2016). Niger's achievement demonstrates that elimination of neglected tropical diseases is possible through sustained vector control, mass drug administration and surveillance programmes.