01831nas a2200253   4500000000100000008004100001260003400042653001900076653001600095653002600111100001900137700001200156700001500168700001100183700001400194700001600208700001200224700001800236245009500254856011000349300000800459520108500467022002501552       2024                            d  bOxford University Press (OUP)10aonchocerciasis10aElimination10aHumanitarian settings1 aSiewe Fodjo JN1 aJada SR1 aRovarini J1 aBol YY1 aCarter JY1 aHadermann A1 aLakwo T1 aColebunders R00aAccelerating onchocerciasis elimination in humanitarian settings: lessons from South Sudan  uhttps://academic.oup.com/inthealth/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/inthealth/ihae051/58686245/ihae051.pdf  a1-53 a<p>There is persistent meso- and hyperendemicity of onchocerciasis (river blindness) in South Sudan, a country that has endured armed conflict for many years. In 2018, Amref Health Africa, in collaboration with local communities, the South Sudan Ministry of Health and other stakeholders, initiated some interventions, among which was Innovative Approaches to Reduce the Burden of Disease Caused by Onchocerciasis (IARDO) project. This project implemented several strategies, including identifying areas where onchocerciasis elimination programs need strengthening, switching from annual to biannual community-directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI), additional ivermectin administration to postpartum women and school children and a community-based ‘slash and clear’ vector control strategy. These measures resulted in increased CDTI coverage, fewer bites from blackfly vectors and decreased onchocerciasis-related morbidity. The feasibility of these interventions, low cost, national government support and community ownership suggest their long-term sustainability.</p>
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