Onchocerciasis free Niger

Why in news?

• The World Health Organization declared Niger as the first country in the African region to eliminate onchocerciasis.
• Niger became the fifth country in the world and the first country in Africa to eliminate onchocerciasis.
• Earlier, this disease has been eliminated in Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico.

Onchocerciasis:

• Onchocerciasis is commonly known as river blindness.
• It is a parasitic infection caused by a worm called Onchocerca volvulus.
• This infection spreads through the bite of black flies, which are found around fast-flowing rivers and waterfalls.
• It is the second largest infectious cause of blindness worldwide after trachoma.
• The disease mainly affects rural populations in sub-Saharan Africa, Yemen and Latin America.

Symptoms of onchocerciasis:

• Skin symptoms:
  • Intense itching and burning
  • Thickening and wrinkling of the skin
  • Formation of nodules on the skin
• Eye symptoms:
  • Inflammation and irritation in the eyes
  • Gradual loss of vision (blindness)
  • White spots in the eyes

Niger:

• Capital: Niamey
• Location: West Africa
• Borders: Algeria, Libya, Chad, Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali
• Area: 12,67,000 sq km (6th largest country in Africa)
• Currency: West African CFA franc (XOF)