River Blindness Treatment reaches most people ever
humanprogress.org · 14 October 2026
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In 2025, health organisations treated 180.3 million people for onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, across the globe.
The World Health Organization reports this represents 70.5% of the 255.7 million people who require preventative chemotherapy (PC) for the disease. Onchocerciasis occurs when blackflies transmit larvae that cause intense itching, skin disease, and potentially irreversible blindness. Childhood exposure to the infection can also cause epilepsy.
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