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Ecuador Stops Onchocerciasis (River Blindness)

Ecuador recently became the second country in the world to achieve elimination of onchocerciasis (river blindness), as verified by the World Health Organization (WHO).

"Together with The Carter Center and international partners, Rosalynn and I want to congratulate Ecuador for wiping out river blindness and showing that eliminating this disease from the Americas is possible," said former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, founder of The Carter Center, which works with partners throughout Latin America to eliminate the disease through its Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas (OEPA).

Watch this video to learn more about Ecuador's efforts to eliminate onchocerciasis and meet Raquel Lovato, technical coordinator of the country's onchocerciasis program, as she conducts post-treatment surveillance to verify the disease's elimination in Ecuador.

Learn more about the Center's Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas (OEPA): http://www.cartercenter.org/health/river_blindness/oepa.html

Learn more about Ecuador's verification by the WHO: http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/ecuador-093014.html

Founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter in partnership with Emory University, The Carter Center is committed to advancing human rights and alleviating unnecessary human suffering. The Center wages peace, fights disease, and builds hope worldwide.