Manna Okubalidet, Nditanchou Rogers, Siewe Fodjo Joseph, Colebunders Robert
University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
Global Health Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
IJID Reg. 2025 May 29;16:100677. doi: 10.1016/j.ijregi.2025.100677. eCollection 2025 Sep.
Onchocerciasis, a neglected tropical disease, continues to affect millions in low- to middle-income countries, despite evidence of successful elimination efforts in some regions. The persistence of the disease is mainly due to suboptimal implementation of community-directed treatment with ivermectin programs, a critical component for achieving elimination. To address this issue, we propose increasing ivermectin coverage through health facilities to reach individuals who missed ivermectin during community-directed treatment with ivermectin campaigns. In addition, expanding ivermectin distribution through schools could further improve coverage among children. Health facilities could also play a key role in rapidly detecting onchocerciasis cases and identifying disease resurgence in areas where transmission has been eliminated. Moreover, health facilities and schools could serve as platforms for health education. Adapting these strategies to local contexts could strengthen the sustainability and impact of national elimination programs.
盘尾丝虫病是一种被忽视的热带病，尽管有证据表明在一些地区消除该疾病的努力取得了成功，但它仍继续影响着低收入和中等收入国家的数百万人。该疾病持续存在的主要原因是伊维菌素社区导向治疗项目的实施效果欠佳，而这是实现消除目标的关键组成部分。为解决这一问题，我们建议通过卫生设施提高伊维菌素的覆盖率，以覆盖在伊维菌素社区导向治疗活动中错过服药的人群。此外，通过学校扩大伊维菌素的分发范围可进一步提高儿童中的覆盖率。卫生设施在快速检测盘尾丝虫病病例以及在已消除传播的地区识别疾病复发方面也可发挥关键作用。此外，卫生设施和学校可作为健康教育的平台。使这些策略适应当地情况可加强国家消除计划的可持续性和影响力。
