The END of River Blindness
The road to river blindness elimination in Niger has been half a century long. Just ten years ago, this momentous occasion was considered impossible in Africa. Thankfully, science is not stagnant: it evolves at pace with our collective ingenuity and collaboration. Innovation and technology are a central component of the support of the Reaching the Last Mile Fund and they have played a critical role in achieving, and then proving, that a Niger free from onchocerciasis is possible. The last mile of disease elimination is the most challenging phase. Proving that decades of treatment and vector control have been effective, and thus ending needless expenditure of resources on a public threat that no longer exists, poses an incredible technical challenge. Today, Niger is finalizing the dossier for the WHO’s verification of elimination of transmission, becoming the first country in Africa to ever reach this point. This event will feature the perspectives of the public health leaders that have made this achievement possible and the ecosystem of partners that have supported Niger in this monumental effort.