Juba, 10 February 2016 --  To accelerate the elimination of onchocerciasis (river blindness) in South Sudan, WHO and the Ministry of Health (MoH) are conducting community-based mass drug administration (MDA) with ivermectin, to targeted population in endemic counties of South Sudan.

River blindness is the world's second leading infectious cause of blindness. It is a parasitic disease caused by Onchocerciasis volvulus (OV) and transmitted by blackfly, an insect that breeds along fast flowing rivers.

River blindness, schistosomiasis, trachoma, soil transmitted helminth and lymphatic filariasis (LF) are some of the major neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), presently targeted for elimination by the year 2020 using WHO’s recommended strategy of preventive chemotherapy and transmission control.

Currently, WHO is supporting the MoH to strengthen sustainable mass drug administration structures as a primary control strategy to prevent and treat residents for river blindness in endemic areas of the country.

This initiative is in line with efforts that are underway throughout the continent to eliminate NTDs. The World Health Assembly and the WHO Regional Committee for Africa recently passed resolutions WHA66 and RC63 respectively to accelerate actions against NTDs that are amenable to preventive chemotherapy (PC-NTD). These are onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, soil transmitted helminthes, schistosomiasis and trachoma.

The mass drug administration for river blindness is a multi-partnership initiative that would cost USD 612 500 annually in order to reach all the at risk population in South Sudan. This partnership comprises of: the MoH, the World Health Organization, Christian Blind Mission and Sight Savers. This year’s MDA kicked off in Wau with the training of 40 supervisors from the Greater Western Bhar El Gazel Region. This was followed by training of 1 632 community drug distributers (CDDs) selected by the communities and subsequent community drug distribution.

“The programme treatment coverage goal is to reach at least 80% of the eligible population of the country with the highest endemicity”, said Dr. James Ukelo the Director General, State Ministry of Health, Western Bahr el Ghazal Region.

Ivermectin was provided to the CDD in the presence of the local chief at a time selected by the community leaders. CDDs were then given 2–4 weeks to complete house-to-house drug distribution and to report back to the State Ministry of Health through their Payam and County Supervisors.

Dr Ukelo says, according to the 2003 Rapid Epidemiological Survey supported by WHO through the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) programme, the Western Bahr el Ghazal Region was found to be hyper-endemic, justifying mass drug administration, hence community awareness and involvement is key to reduce or eliminate river blindness.

He further notes that the CDD led efforts to implement the MDA programme within their communities will reduce barriers in treatment uptake as well as generate ownership and pride among the CDDs themselves.

“While these mass drug administration programmes have seen considerable successes since the days of APOC, treatments must be repeated once a year to cover the life span of adult worms (12-15 years)  and thus reduce the prevalence of the diseases”, said Mr Evans Liyosi, Focal Point for NTDs at WHO South Sudan.

Mr Evans commends efforts by the Government and the people of South Sudan, as well as efforts by health partners in tackling NTDs despite a number of challenges that need to be addressed to fully control and eventually eliminate the transmission of the targeted NTDs. On behalf of Dr Abdulmumini Usman, WHO Country Representative to South Sudan, he pledges WHO’s continued commitment and support in accelerating interventions to eliminate NTDs in line with the WHA and AFRO RC resolutions of 2013.

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For more information, please contact:

Technical Contacts: Mr Evans Liyosi - +211-955037645; liyosie [at] who.int 
Communication Contact: Ms Jemila M. Ebrahim- +211-950450007; ebrahimj [at] who.int