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Public Health Officials Confirm Significant Progress Toward the Goal of Elimination of River Blindness in Latin America by 2012

Public health officials at the 20th Inter-American Conference on Onchocerciasis in Antigua, Guatemala, confirmed that more than one-third of all Latin Americans who ran the risk of contracting river blindness (onchocerciasis), a leading cause of preventable blindness, are no longer at risk.

Officials attribute the successes in Latin America to a sustained public-private partnership led by the Carter Center that offers drug treatment and health education. The Carter Center – through its sponsorship of the Onchocerciasis Elimination Program of the Americas (OEPA) – assists national ministries of health in six affected countries in Latin America to conduct health education and distribute Mectizan® (ivermectin), donated by Merck & Co., Inc.

Read Merck's full press release (PDF) >

Learn More:

Onchocerciasis Elimination Program of the Americas (OEPA) >

Carter Center River Blindness Program >

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