Brazzaville – Onchocerciasis – generally generally known as river blindness – is a significant public well being downside in Congo. As soon as confined to rural communities residing near rivers and farmlands, the illness is now current in city settings, notably in communities situated near watercourses.
Practically 2 million individuals, or round 30% of the inhabitants, are prone to contracting onchocerciasis, which is transmitted by the bites of contaminated black flies. It causes intense itching, pores and skin and eye lesions, and irreversible blindness in extreme instances.
In response, the nation’s Nationwide Onchocerciasis Management Programme has been implementing a wide range of measures, together with elevating public consciousness to boost prevention in addition to finishing up mass drug administration in endemic districts to curb an infection.
Over the previous 20 years, 18 mass drug administration campaigns have been organized in at-risk districts, with encouraging outcomes. Group participation has improved through the years in addition to belief in illness management efforts and influence on well being.
With the assist of companions such because the World Well being Group (WHO), Sightsavers and pharmaceutical firms, a drug administration marketing campaign carried out between October and December 2024 reached almost 700 000 individuals and entailed intense group mobilization because of coaching of well being employees and group mobilizers. In communities the place lymphatic filariasis, also called elephantiasis, can be widespread, mass preventive remedy was additionally carried out.
“We are going to proceed to work collectively to carry this illness underneath management. Collaboration between the native communities, well being employees and our worldwide companions is essential if we’re to attain our objective of eliminating the illness,” says Dr Marlhand Hemilembolo, Director of the Nationwide Onchocerciasis Management Programme.
Prevention performs a central function in onchocerciasis management, because it enhances the remedies administered. “I took this medication not solely to guard myself, but in addition to forestall my kids from contracting this illness in future. Prevention is the important thing,” says Youlou Annie, a mom of 5, who acquired the remedy.
Véronique, a 53-year-old farmer who lives close to River Congo within the Congolese capital Brazzaville and who has been handled from a earlier onchocerciasis an infection, says she continues to take remedy to forestall the illness from progressing to power issues, equivalent to eye injury or irreversible blindness.
To achieve communities equivalent to Véronique’s throughout the campaigns, greater than 6000 skilled group distributors launched into door-to-door visits and administration of the remedy.
“The coaching we acquired on awareness-raising, administration of medication shares and good distribution practices, enormously improved our preparation to hold out our mission,” says Jean-Marie Saboutou, a group outreach crew member in Brazzaville’s Mfilou well being district. “I have been doing this work for twenty-four years, and above all, I’ve seen that because of awareness-raising, individuals perceive the significance of defending themselves and settle for the remedy with out hesitation. This was not the case just a few years in the past.”
Because of the concerted efforts and the dedication of native communities, Congo is making progress in the direction of elimination of onchocerciasis. Nevertheless, additional efforts are wanted to considerably cut back an infection charges, together with in city areas.
“Our objective goes past merely decreasing the edge of an infection transmission. This illness should not pose a risk to public well being,” says Dr Vincent Sodjinou, appearing WHO Consultant in Congo. “We wish to shield communities from this illness, deal with those that undergo from it, and rework the lives of probably the most susceptible individuals by bettering their well being and livelihoods.”