River Blindness Impacts Africa
Two of the looming causes of blindness impact Africa heavily; River Blindness (Onchocerciasis) and Trachoma. (Read about Trachoma in West Africa.)
River Blindness impacts approximately 18 million persons worldwide. A startling 99% of River Blindness cases occur in Africa. Heavily hit are the regions of West and Central Africa. Nigeria, with about 20% of sub-Saharan Africa's people, is especially hard hit by Oncho. Children often lose out on their education due to needs to care for blind or visually-impaired adult family members. Farmers tend to avoid those areas near water sources known to harbor the flies - even though these areas close to rivers are normally the more fertile, productive soils. Thus food production suffers.
The disease is carried by the bites of small black flies that breed in rapidly flowing rivers and streams. The Oncho-causing parasite enters through the flies' bites. It leads to irreversible blindness and other health issues if untreated.
Concerns are rising that a treatment resistant strain of the parasite is emerging which does not respond to the typically effective medication. Should this prove to be true, the potential for a future problem of even more significant proportions would emerge. Currently it is estimated that 125 million persons - beyond those already infected - are susceptible to infection.
AHM NewsSource-2008
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