Onchocerciasis in America: Venezuela One Step Away from its Elimination

Abstract

Introduction: Onchocerciasis has been a threat to public health in the Americas for almost five centuries, affecting hundreds of thousands of people with the threat of severe dermatological conditions, visual impairment, and blindness. In Latin America, 13 foci of onchocerciasis were recognized, with 570,000 people at risk of infection by 2017. Objective: To describe the progress of the onchocerciasis elimination programme for the Americas (OEPA) with emphasis on the experience of Venezuela. Method: A literature review was developed, using databases: PubMed and Google Scholar, to identify articles published on the elimination process of onchocerciasis in America, finding 96 publications, including 14 documents from the World Health Organization and Pan American Health Organization. Results: In the region of the Americas, the goal of eliminating onchocerciasis is close to happening, it has already been achieved in four of the six affected countries in the region: only Venezuela and Brazil continue to report transmission of the infection, in whose foci substantial progress has been made in interrupting transmission of the disease. Conclusions: Eliminating onchocerciasis in the South Focus of Venezuela and Amazonas-Roraima of Brazil constitutes the last step of this strategy. Changes to this strategy to achieve this included; the integration of the community to the distribution of treatment, the strengthening of the local health infrastructure, the design and implementation of operations research at the local level, financial sustainability and effective promotion.