Report from the XXXV Inter-American Conference on Onchocerciasis (IACO) 2025
9 October 2026
No. 40, 2026, 101, 284
Onchocerciasis elimination in the World Health Organization (WHO) Region of the Americas is approaching completion, with transmission persisting only in the Yanomami Focus Area (YFA), a cross-border endemic zone in the Amazon region shared by the Federative Republic of Brazil and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela1. This report reflects on progress in the Americas and the need for a single operational approach to the YFA presented at the XXXV Inter-American Conference on Onchocerciasis (IACO) in 2025. The Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas (OEPA) facilitated a technical working group meeting prior to the IACO, at which the countries agreed to ongoing operational team meetings to address common challenges and identification of operational synergies. Persistent challenges highlighted during the conference include treatment coverage, high population mobility, malaria hyperendemicity, violence linked to illegal mining, and logistical barriers.
This report presents a phased framework, emphasizing three central pillars of intervention—treatment, epidemiological surveillance and health education—supported by strengthened health information systems and laboratory capacity. Accelerated implementation during the period 2026–2027 will determine whether the regional elimination target for 2030 can be achieved.
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