Mectizan is a trade-name for ivermectin. Check the images from the PDF at the bottom: they show milestones and progress in applying ivermectin to the control and eradication of river blindness (onchocerciasis) and lymphatic filariasis (aka elephantiasis). Merck donated a billion doses of ivermectin! 403 million people were treated!
I’m pleased to share that the Mectizan Donation Program (MDP) saw remarkable
progress toward the elimination of river blindness (onchocerciasis) and lymphatic
filariasis (LF) in 2019. We continue to reach a record-breaking number of
treatments approved year after year. The high demand for Mectizan® in 2019
resulted in an unprecedented 1 billion tablets manufactured in one year – a
milestone celebrated by MSD in Haarlem, The Netherlands in December 2019.
In 2019, MDP approved a total of 403.6 million treatments, including 343.3 million treatments in countries where LF and onchocerciasis are co-endemic and 60.3
million treatments in IDA countries.
The push to accelerate LF elimination in countries where onchocerciasis is not
co-endemic continued in 2019. Year 2 of the implementation of “triple therapy”
or the “IDA” strategy (ivermectin [Mectizan®], diethylcarbamazine [DEC] and
albendazole) continued; 13 countries are now implementing IDA (see Where We
Work map).
Yemen achieved a major milestone in 2019 when the World Health Organization
(WHO) validated elimination of LF as a public health problem. Given the
challenges in Yemen, this is a remarkable achievement that demonstrates the
long-standing commitment of the Ministry of Health and endemic communities.
Yemen is now the second country after Togo to achieve LF elimination where
onchocerciasis and LF are co-endemic.
We held the 62nd Mectizan Expert Committee (MEC) meeting in October 2019 in
Lomé, Togo to celebrate the country as the first in sub-Saharan Africa to eliminate
LF. We were very excited to recognize Togo for this achievement and subsequently
honored when we received a letter of gratitude from His Excellency Faure
Gnassingbe – President of the Republic of Togo. This letter serves as a symbol of
Togo’s commitment to the elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) at the
highest level — an essential element of success.
Other countries are close behind Togo and Yemen: Cameroon, Malawi, Mali,
and Uganda have all stopped treatment with Mectizan and albendazole for
LF elimination in all endemic districts. Malawi completed the five-year posttreatment surveillance phase and submitted its validation dossier to WHO. As
of December 2019, the number of people no longer needing treatment with
Mectizan and albendazole for elimination of LF as a public health problem
increased to 163.3 million, from 150.9 million the previous year.
Message from the Director: 2020 and Beyond
For onchocerciasis, the number of people that no longer need treatment increased from 11.5 million in 2018 to 13.8 million in 2019, providing growing evidence that transmission can be interrupted. In Nigeria, mass treatment was stopped in two additional states, Kebbi and Zamfara. A total of five states have stopped treatment in Nigeria, two of which have also stopped treatment for lymphatic filariasis (Nasarawa and Plateau) and have started the threeyear recommended post-treatment surveillance. Given that Nigeria is the country with the highest burden of onchocerciasis in the world, this is a remarkable achievement. The Mectizan Donation Program applauds the Federal Ministry of Health and the technical and financial support provided in Nigeria by The Carter Center and Sightsavers.
As we move through 2020 with fear and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, our thoughts are with our partners on the ground working against the clock to contain the spread and keep people safe. As of this writing, the World Health Organization (WHO) has advised that all mass drug administration (MDA) with Mectizan and albendazole for onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis (LF) elimination halt until further notice while countries implement their pandemic control measures. Rest assured that we will be working with partners to ensure that normal activities for river blindness and lymphatic filariasis elimination can resume full speed ahead when the COVID-19 crisis is behind us. In the meantime, please keep yourselves and your families healthy and safe.
Looking ahead, I eagerly anticipate WHO member states and other stakeholders endorsing the new WHO 2021-2030 NTD Roadmap. In the draft Roadmap, we are pleased to see onchocerciasis targeted for elimination of transmission, with the goal to have 12 countries verified by 2030. While the goal is ambitious, we believe it is achievable given the current high level of commitment in endemic countries to eliminate transmission of onchocerciasis. We will continue working together to sustain high Mectizan treatment coverage and ensure that no one is left behind – regardless of who they are and where they live.
On behalf of the MDP team and the Mectizan Expert Committee, I want to congratulate the countries for their hard work and success toward the elimination of onchocerciasis and LF within their integrated NTD platform; the global partnership including our NGO and donor partners; the research community; and, of course, Merck & Co., Inc.* and GSK for their generous donations of Mectizan and albendazole, respectively.
[-] TrumpLyftAlles | 1 points | May 22 2020 11:56:54
Mectizan is a trade-name for ivermectin. Check the images from the PDF at the bottom: they show milestones and progress in applying ivermectin to the control and eradication of river blindness (onchocerciasis) and lymphatic filariasis (aka elephantiasis). Merck donated a billion doses of ivermectin! 403 million people were treated!
I’m pleased to share that the Mectizan Donation Program (MDP) saw remarkable progress toward the elimination of river blindness (onchocerciasis) and lymphatic filariasis (LF) in 2019. We continue to reach a record-breaking number of treatments approved year after year. The high demand for Mectizan® in 2019 resulted in an unprecedented 1 billion tablets manufactured in one year – a milestone celebrated by MSD in Haarlem, The Netherlands in December 2019.
In 2019, MDP approved a total of 403.6 million treatments, including 343.3 million treatments in countries where LF and onchocerciasis are co-endemic and 60.3 million treatments in IDA countries.
The push to accelerate LF elimination in countries where onchocerciasis is not co-endemic continued in 2019. Year 2 of the implementation of “triple therapy” or the “IDA” strategy (ivermectin [Mectizan®], diethylcarbamazine [DEC] and albendazole) continued; 13 countries are now implementing IDA (see Where We Work map).
Yemen achieved a major milestone in 2019 when the World Health Organization (WHO) validated elimination of LF as a public health problem. Given the challenges in Yemen, this is a remarkable achievement that demonstrates the long-standing commitment of the Ministry of Health and endemic communities. Yemen is now the second country after Togo to achieve LF elimination where onchocerciasis and LF are co-endemic.
We held the 62nd Mectizan Expert Committee (MEC) meeting in October 2019 in Lomé, Togo to celebrate the country as the first in sub-Saharan Africa to eliminate LF. We were very excited to recognize Togo for this achievement and subsequently honored when we received a letter of gratitude from His Excellency Faure Gnassingbe – President of the Republic of Togo. This letter serves as a symbol of Togo’s commitment to the elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) at the highest level — an essential element of success.
Other countries are close behind Togo and Yemen: Cameroon, Malawi, Mali, and Uganda have all stopped treatment with Mectizan and albendazole for LF elimination in all endemic districts. Malawi completed the five-year posttreatment surveillance phase and submitted its validation dossier to WHO. As of December 2019, the number of people no longer needing treatment with Mectizan and albendazole for elimination of LF as a public health problem increased to 163.3 million, from 150.9 million the previous year.
Message from the Director: 2020 and Beyond
For onchocerciasis, the number of people that no longer need treatment increased from 11.5 million in 2018 to 13.8 million in 2019, providing growing evidence that transmission can be interrupted. In Nigeria, mass treatment was stopped in two additional states, Kebbi and Zamfara. A total of five states have stopped treatment in Nigeria, two of which have also stopped treatment for lymphatic filariasis (Nasarawa and Plateau) and have started the threeyear recommended post-treatment surveillance. Given that Nigeria is the country with the highest burden of onchocerciasis in the world, this is a remarkable achievement. The Mectizan Donation Program applauds the Federal Ministry of Health and the technical and financial support provided in Nigeria by The Carter Center and Sightsavers.
As we move through 2020 with fear and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, our thoughts are with our partners on the ground working against the clock to contain the spread and keep people safe. As of this writing, the World Health Organization (WHO) has advised that all mass drug administration (MDA) with Mectizan and albendazole for onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis (LF) elimination halt until further notice while countries implement their pandemic control measures. Rest assured that we will be working with partners to ensure that normal activities for river blindness and lymphatic filariasis elimination can resume full speed ahead when the COVID-19 crisis is behind us. In the meantime, please keep yourselves and your families healthy and safe.
Looking ahead, I eagerly anticipate WHO member states and other stakeholders endorsing the new WHO 2021-2030 NTD Roadmap. In the draft Roadmap, we are pleased to see onchocerciasis targeted for elimination of transmission, with the goal to have 12 countries verified by 2030. While the goal is ambitious, we believe it is achievable given the current high level of commitment in endemic countries to eliminate transmission of onchocerciasis. We will continue working together to sustain high Mectizan treatment coverage and ensure that no one is left behind – regardless of who they are and where they live.
On behalf of the MDP team and the Mectizan Expert Committee, I want to congratulate the countries for their hard work and success toward the elimination of onchocerciasis and LF within their integrated NTD platform; the global partnership including our NGO and donor partners; the research community; and, of course, Merck & Co., Inc.* and GSK for their generous donations of Mectizan and albendazole, respectively.
Dr. Yao Sodahlon, Director
Images from the PDF
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