On World NTD Day, we join partners to Unite. Act. Eliminate. and achieve the goals of the WHO 2030 NTD Road Map.
Unite.
Millions of people worldwide are at risk of onchocerciasis (river blindness) and lymphatic filariasis (LF). Together we are eliminating these debilitating diseases by reaching everyone at risk through mass drug administration. In 1987, Merck & Co., Inc.* pledged to donate the drug Mectizan as much as needed, for as long as needed to eliminate river blindness. This pioneering decision kicked off a movement of “pharmaco-philanthropy” that has provided critical interventions in the fight against neglected tropical diseases.
Merck’s unwavering commitment over the past 37 years has resulted in 5.5 billion treatments donated and a remarkable 46 million people no longer at risk of contracting river blindness.
In 1998, Merck decided to expand the donation of Mectizan, joined by GSK with the generous donation of albendazole to be co-administered with Mectizan, to eliminate another NTD: lymphatic filariasis. In 2017, Merck expanded the commitment again by donating up to 100 million treatments annually through 2025 for LF elimination in countries eligible for “triple therapy” with Mectizan, albendazole, and DEC to accelerate LF elimination in certain settings.
Thanks to these historic decisions, the first obstacle to elimination—an effective intervention available at no cost—has been overcome. But distributing those drugs to the millions who need them is a big job. We must unite to get it done.
Watch this video to learn more about the historic drug donation:
Act.
We welcome the expansion of the Reaching the Last Mile Fund to mobilize up to $500 million for river blindness and LF elimination efforts. This will greatly facilitate the timely and effective distribution of donated Mectizan treatments to all those who need them. The RLMF coverage will expand their reach from 7 countries in Africa to all endemic countries in Africa, plus Yemen.
Now is the time for ministries of health and the NGOs who work alongside them to intensify distribution of the donated drugs, leaving no one behind. The challenges of eliminating these diseases are complicated and far-reaching. The power of partnership has never been more clearly needed.
Learn more about how our partners operate in this video.
Eliminate.
Before Mectizan, eliminating river blindness was unthinkable: the goal was to control the disease. With the advent of Mectizan and development of the community-directed distribution system, over time transmission began to decline, leading to the new WHO mandate to eliminate transmission of river blindness.
Countries are making remarkable progress toward eliminating river blindness and LF. The mass distribution of donated Mectizan and albendazole has proven to be a valuable intervention requiring minimal domestic resources to improve health, build capacity, strengthen health systems, and reduce poverty.
Let’s work together to end the suffering caused by these debilitating diseases and ensure a more promising future for generations.
Learn more about the road to elimination in this video.
The Mectizan Donation Program is an international program to eliminate river blindness and lymphatic filariasis primarily funded by Merck, with support from GlaxoSmithKline.
*Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey USA, is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada.