Eliminating preventable blindness in Nigeria

An older man stands smiling in a narrow pathway in a rural community in Nigeria, surrounded by tall woven fences made of sticks. He wears a light-coloured traditional shirt and a patterned cap
Hussain Sai’idu, a community leader in Kano State, Nigeria, supports efforts to improve access to safe water in his community.

After 30 years of annual ivermectin treatment, river blindness elimination targets have now been reached in all 14 districts in Yobe and Jigawa states, Nigeria. As a result, 3.2 million people are no longer at risk of contracting the disease or losing their sight because of it.

CBM Global has supported elimination efforts in Yobe State since 1995 and in Jigawa State since 1996. This long-term commitment has contributed to a major public health milestone and helped protect communities from a disease that has caused lasting harm across generations.

River blindness, or onchocerciasis, is a parasitic disease transmitted by blackflies that breed near fast-flowing rivers. It can cause severe itching, skin disease and, in some cases, blindness.

The disease has had devastating effects not only on individuals, but on whole communities. In affected areas, families have often had to divert children from school to support relatives who had lost their sight, reinforcing cycles of poverty and exclusion.

A major factor in progress against river blindness was the 1987 decision by Merck Sharp & Dohme to donate ivermectin (Mectizan®) free of charge for as long as needed. Over the past 30 years, more than 20 million ivermectin treatments were delivered across the 14 districts.

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