GLOBAL PREVELANCE

 

Approximately 50% of men over the age of 40 years have been blinded by onchocerciasis (WHO, 2016a). In areas where the parasite is prevalent, people are fleeing the fertile river valleys to settle in infertile highland areas in order to escape the parasite. This has had detrimental impacts on the economies of countries affected by the disease.

 

The distribution of Onchocerciasis is closely linked to the distribution of its black fly vector (WHO, 2016a). Black flies live close to the fast flowing waters where they mate. As a result onchocerciasis is prevalent in many inter-tropical zones. Some of these areas include Africa, Latin America, Yemen, and the Arabian Peninsula. As of 2002, it is not globally eradicable, but it is eradicable in select locations (Carter, 2016).

 

Onchocerciasis has been officially eliminated in Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico between 2013-15 (Carter, 2016). Interruption of transmission was declared in Guatamala in 2015, but won’t be considered officially eliminated until mid-2016 (WHO, 2016b).