USAID Support for The Carter Center's River Blindness Elimination Efforts in the Americas

Carter Center Featured Partner: U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) ENVISION Project

Featured October 2017

The Carter Center is proud to recognize its partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the ENVISION project, which is led by RTI International. ENVISION provides generous support to our neglected tropical disease (NTD) programs in both Nigeria and Uganda.

The goal of USAID’s ENVISION project is to control or eliminate seven targeted NTDs: lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, and three soil-transmitted helminths (roundworm, hookworm, whipworm). These conditions have a devastating effect on the quality of life of victims, impacting them not only physically, but also emotionally and economically. NTDs blind, disfigure, or debilitate millions of people each year. ENVISION provides critical technical and financial support to national NTD control and elimination programs to ensure affected populations receive treatment with safe, effective drugs and other interventions.

Together we have made significant strides toward elimination in Nigeria and Uganda. In Uganda, onchocerciasis (river blindness) transmission has been interrupted in 15 of the country’s 17 focal areas. 3.7 million Ugandans are now believed to be free from the risk of contracting this painful, debilitating disease. With technical and logistical assistance from The Carter Center and ENVISION, the Nigerian Ministry of Health established a national committee on onchocerciasis elimination, which in turn drafted Nigeria’s plan to eliminate onchocerciasis. Five states are conducting studies to determine whether they have already interrupted disease transmission, thirteen states are on track to do so by 2020, and the remaining states are either priority for twice-per-year treatment or require assessments to determine transmission status. The ENVISION partnership will help ensure that Nigeria meets its ambitious targets.

The Carter Center is very proud of its long history of achievement with RTI, USAID, and the ENVISION project. In recognizing our partners, we look to the future. There is much work to be done as we work to improve the health and well-being of others.