Fighting Disease:  Colombia

Eliminating Onchocerciasis From the Americas

River blindness is a parasitic disease transmitted by the bite of small black flies that breed in rapidly flowing streams and rivers. The disease causes severe itching, eye damage, and often blindness but is preventable through health education and distribution of the medicine Mectizan® (ivermectin, donated by Merck). Learn more about the Carter Center's campaign to eliminate river blindness from the Americas and to control it in Africa >

In 2007, officials of the Onchocerciasis Elimination Program of the Americas (OEPA) announced that Colombia had become the first country in the world to interrupt river blindness transmission. This tremendous success was achieved through significant hard work and dedication by the national program with help from The Carter Center, its international partners, and Merck.

Between 1996 and 2006, The Carter Center and its partners helped Colombians receive biannual doses of the curative and preventative drug Mectizan®, donated by Merck. The program exceeded the treatment coverage goal for eight consecutive years, thus breaking the cycle of disease transmission.

More work must be done to determine that onchocerciasis has been eliminated from Colombia. A three-year post-treatment surveillance period (which concludes in 2011) will verify whether river blindness transmission has been halted. With continued hard work and vigilance, Colombia could become the first country in the world to be certified as having eliminated river blindness.

Read the blog: Long-Term Commitment To Eliminate River Blindness Brightens Future for Latin America >

Learn more about the Center's work fighting river blindness in Colombia (in search result format) >

Read the news release: Colombia Is First Country To Interrupt Transmission of River Blindness >