River blindness – or onchocerciasis – is a tropical disease which causes itchiness, skin damage, and eventually blindness. It affects millions of people across Africa.

T he World Health Organization (WHO) congratulates Niger for having met the criteria for onchocerciasis elimination, making it the fifth country globally and the first country in Africa to be ...

Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On 30 January 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that Niger has been verified for eliminating the transmission of onchocerciasis, commonly known ...

Onchocerciasis is spread by infected blackflies in rural areas along rivers and lakes. [Courtesy] Niger became the first African country to eliminate the parasitic infection onchocerciasis ...

Niger became the first African country to eliminate the parasitic infection onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, and the fifth worldwide, according to World Health Organisation (WHO).

The WHO said a key factor in Niger’s success was the collaboration between the government, the WHO and non-governmental organisations. Onchocerciasis is the second-leading infectious cause of ...