Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, on Sunday launched a project to support efforts to eradicate river blindness.
The initiative is set to benefit seven million people directly and 35.4 million indirectly over the next three years. It will be overseen by Noor Dubai, under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives.
River blindness is the common name for the condition known as onchocerciasis. It is caused by the bite of a black fly that has been infected by a parasitic worm. The symptoms include intense itching, a rash and visual impairment, which can potentially lead to permanent blindness.
“To fight blindness is to fight darkness and disability, and to empower people to lead a life with dignity. We remain committed to launching such initiatives," Sheikh Mohammed was quoted as saying by Dubai Media Office.
The project includes mass administration of medicine for prevention and treatment, community surveys and assessments to monitor early signs of the disease, and the training of local healthcare workers towards realising the goal of fully eradicating river blindness by 2030, the media office added.
More than 99 per cent of people infected with river blindness live in Yemen and Africa, the World Health Organisation has found. About 252.3 million people required treatment for the condition in 2024.
Also present during the announcement were Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, and Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai.
Previous efforts
This is not the first time the UAE has taken part in efforts to help tackle river blindness. In 2021, a campaign was launched between the Carter Centre in the US and Abu Dhabi’s Global Institute for Disease Elimination an initiative organised by President Sheikh Mohamed and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The goal of the campaign was to eliminate the disease from the Americas. Onchocerciasis is treated with a medicine known as ivermectin.
By the end of 2024, 25.5 million people were living in areas no longer requiring ivermectin treatment, with Nigeria accounting for more than 16.6 million of those, the latest WHO report on river blindness has said.
