US Fund for UNICEF and Merck & Co., Inc. support onchocerciasis control efforts in Nigeria

 

Nigeria, the 8^th most populous country in the world, has one of the highest onchocerciasis (“river blindness”) infection rates in the world, with an estimated 28 million Nigerians at risk of the disease. Overall, onchocerciasis is endemic in 33 of Nigeria’s 36 states. It is estimated that 7-10 million persons are infected, including 1-3 million children. Of the total number of persons infected, about 100,000 are reported to have been blinded as a direct result of the infection. 

 

The disease has untoward effects not only on the health, but on the development of exposed children. Their educational performance in school is affected by the distraction caused by the unrelenting itching associated with this disease. Many youth are deprived of their childhood as they are often forced to guide and look after elderly relatives blinded by the disease.

The U.S. Fund for UNICEF’s (USF) support for onchocerciasis control in Nigeria began in 1991. The organization is assisting the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health in the control of Onchocerciasis in nine states; namely Bauchi, Benue, Cross River, Ekiti, Gombe, Niger, Ondo, Osun and Oyo.

 

Through a partnership with Merck & Co., Inc., USF facilitates importation of Mectizan, an anti-parasite medication used to treat onchocerciasis, into Nigeria. UNICEF acts as a consignee at the country level to receive, administer, and/or distribute the product to meet the country’s program requirements.

 

Merck & Co., Inc. has been donating Mectizan (Ivermectin) to the USF since 1987, when Merck & Co., Inc. announced that it would donate the drug to all who need it, for as long as needed. Through this partnership, UNICEF also helped to facilitate the importation of Mectizan to other affected countries including Benin, Congo, Cote D’Ivoire, Mali, and Togo.

 

UNICEF Nigeria supports the National Onchocerciasis Control Program (NOCP) in nine states with technical and financial assistance to implement critical activities that will ensure project sustainability and the attainment of ultimate treatment goals (UTG). UNICEF Nigeria has received funds from USF to implement programming.

 

There have been several important achievements in onchocerciasis control in Nigeria. Annual treatments—with increases in therapeutic and ultimate treatment rates—have increased from approximately 200,000 in four states in 1991 to 9.2 million in nine states in 2007, resulting in decreasing rates of skin and eye lesions. UNICEF has trained more than 20,000 community members and 2,500 health workers on community-directed treatment with Ivermectin (CDTI) strategy. Additionally, the Cross River State in Nigerias has been judged as one of the best states in all the African Program for Onchocerciaisis Control countries.

 

UNICEF continues to support the Ministry of Health to implement key community CDTI activities aimed at strengthening the health system and institution especially at the community level in the nine states for the next 3 years.