Fighting Disease:  Venezuela

Eliminating River Blindness 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®. Learn more about the Carter Center's campaign to eliminate river blindness from the Americas and to control it in Africa >

Venezuela, which has three onchocerciasis-endemic foci (Northcentral, Northeast, and South) was the last of the six original endemic countries in Latin America to begin mass drug administration in 2000. The program targeted twice-per-year treatment with Mectizan® (ivermectin, donated by Merck) and health education for approximately 98,500 people at risk for the disease.

In 2001, a panel of international experts on the Carter Center's International Task Force for Disease Eradication suggested that with continued hard work and diligence, it was feasible to completely eliminate river blindness in the Americas with twice yearly doses of Mectizan to 85 percent of those at risk.

Treatment distribution is particularly difficult in the remote and difficult-to-access southern area of Venezuela, bordering Brazil. One of the most at-risk populations in this area is the migratory Yanomami people, who travel throughout the Amazon rain forest, placing them at continuous exposure to the disease. A special effort must continue to be made to provide the Yanomami with the medicine and health education they need to help preserve their sight.

In 2006, after many years struggling to achieve the 85 percent treatment threshold in these areas, and with a renewed strategy developed by The Carter Center, Onchocerciasis Elimination Program of the Americas, government officials, and other partners, health workers were able to provide over 85 percent treatment coverage to a population of 5,069 during the first and second rounds of drug distribution. This watershed moment has enabled continued momentum for the program.

In 2010, the South focus achieved its fifth consecutive year of surpassing the treatment threshold, with 11,763 onchocerciasis treatments delivered.

To further advance elimination efforts, the Venezuelan program launched a quarterly treatment regime in 66 hyperendemic communities, reaching nearly 2,300 isolate people. As a result of this heightened activity, seven new and previously untreated hyperendemic Yanomami communities (total population 565 people) were identified for the first time in 2010.

Overall, in Venezeula in 2010, more than 200,000 treatments were distributed. In the Northeast focus, quarterly treatment was launched among 4,841 people living in the most highly onchocerciasis-endemic communities in the focus.

The international community has an important role to play in this endeavor by continuing to support Venezuela as it works to rid itself once and for all from this debilitating disease.

Read the press release: Donor Contributions Critical to Success of the Onchocerciasis Elimination Program of the Americas >

Learn more about the Carter Center's fight to eliminate river blindness in Venezeula (in search
result format) >