Eliminate river blindness

€22

River blindness is a disease caused by a parasitic worm and spread by flies that breed near fast flowing rivers.

It is a major cause of blindness in Africa, with around 35 million people currently infected and another 140 million at risk of infection.

The drug Mectizan® halts the progress of the disease. It means that communities can live near the water supplies they rely on for survival – without the risk of blindness.

These boys have received their annual dose of Mectizan® and are able to play in a river where the flies are known to breed, safe from the threat of river blindness.

Hore Fello is a small village in Moyene, Guinea. Most of the families who live here are farmers and rely on the fertile area close to the river for their survival.

The river is a known breeding ground for the fly that spreads the disease river blindness. Fortunately, this small, rural community receive the drug Mectizan® through an initiative aimed at eliminating the disease.

By training local people how to distribute the drug, we can ensure a sustainable programme of river blindness prevention in rural areas.

“My work is important and I am happy to help the community fight against blindness” 23-year-old Mamu Sallounow, community Mectizan® distributor, Guinea