ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2015
Control, elimination, and eradication of river blindness: scenarios, timelines, and ivermectin treatment needs in Africa.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 72 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
72 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 96 citations in OpenAlex.
- Factors influencing vector control for onchocerciasis in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Pooled it
- Preclinical animal models for onchocerciasis and loiasis: A systematic review of applications in drug screening.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Pooled it
- Historical overview and geographical distribution of neglected tropical diseases amenable to preventive chemotherapy in the Republic of the Congo: A systematic review.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2022Pooled it
- Meta-analysis of epilepsy prevalence in West Africa and its relationship with onchocerciasis endemicity and control.International health · 2020Pooled it
- Economic evaluations of onchocerciasis interventions: a systematic review and research needs.Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH · 2019Pooled it
- Adult blackfly (Simulium damnosum s.l.) collection methods: overview and research needs.International health · 2026Review
- Neglected tropical diseases elimination in Africa: lessons from regional control programmes.Tropical medicine and health · 2025Review
- Knowledge, attitude and preventive practices towards onchocerciasis among residents of Ogun Waterside Local Government, IJEBU South-West, Nigeria: A cross-sectional study.Journal of public health research · 2025Article
- An Ensemble Framework for Projecting the Impact of Lymphatic Filariasis Interventions Across Sub-Saharan Africa at a Fine Spatial Scale.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2024Article
- Article
- Management of onchocerciasis among adolescents in nkwanta north district of Ghana: Qualitative study of adolescents' perception, community and health system support.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2023Article
- Anti-Onchocercal Properties of Extracts ofJournal of tropical medicine · 2022Article
- The Human FilariaResearch and reports in tropical medicine · 2022Review
- Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Community towards an Onchocerciasis Elimination Program from South West Ethiopia.Journal of tropical medicine · 2022Article
- A Reevaluation of the Tolerability and Effects of Single-Dose Ivermectin Treatment on Onchocerca volvulus Microfilariae in the Skin and Eyes in Eastern Ghana.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2021Article
- Advances in preclinical platforms ofFrontiers in tropical diseases · 2021Article
- Heartworm disease - Overview, intervention, and industry perspective.International journal for parasitology. Drugs and drug resistance · 2021Review
- The burden of skin disease and eye disease due to onchocerciasis in countries formerly under the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control mandate for 1990, 2020, and 2030.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2021Article
- Scaling-Down Mass Ivermectin Treatment for Onchocerciasis Elimination: Modeling the Impact of the Geographical Unit for Decision Making.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2021Article
- How does onchocerciasis-related skin and eye disease in Africa depend on cumulative exposure to infection and mass treatment?PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2021Article
12 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
6 authors at 4 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
River blindness (onchocerciasis) causes severe itching, skin lesions, and vision impairment including blindness. More than 99% of all current cases are found in sub-Saharan Africa. Fortunately, vector control and community-directed treatment with ivermectin have significantly reduced morbidity. Studies in Mali and Senegal proved the feasibility of elimination with ivermectin administration. The treatment goal is shifting from control to elimination in endemic African regions. Given limited resources, national and global policymakers need a rigorous analysis comparing investment options. For this, we developed scenarios for alternative treatment goals and compared treatment timelines and drug needs between the scenarios. Control, elimination, and eradication scenarios were developed with reference to current standard practices, large-scale studies, and historical data. For each scenario, the timeline when treatment is expected to stop at country level was predicted using a dynamical transmission model, and ivermectin treatment needs were predicted based on population in endemic areas, treatment coverage data, and the frequency of community-directed treatment. The control scenario requires community-directed treatment with ivermectin beyond 2045 with around 2.63 billion treatments over 2013-2045; the elimination scenario, until 2028 in areas where feasible, but beyond 2045 in countries with operational challenges, around 1.48 [corrected] billion treatments; and the eradication scenario, lasting until 2040, around 1.30 billion treatments. The eradication scenario is the most favorable in terms of the timeline of the intervention phase and treatment needs. For its realization, strong health systems and political will are required to overcome epidemiological and political challenges.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.