The Ministry of Health has signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Noor Dubai Foundation, a UAE-based global philanthropic organisation, to completely eliminate onchocerciasis (commonly known as river blindness) across Ghana by the year 2030.

The initiative targets the transmission of the parasitic disease across more than 132 endemic districts nationwide. The collaboration will pull resources from the Reaching the Last Mile Fund (RLMF), a multi-donor global health initiative overseen by the international advocacy organisation, MALARIA NO MORE.

A Targeted Nationwide Strategy

River blindness is caused by the parasitic worm Onchocerciasis volvulus and is transmitted to humans through the repeated bites of infected blackflies that breed along fast-flowing rivers. Left untreated, the infection leads to severe skin irritation, visual impairment, and permanent blindness.

Under the new agreement, the Ministry of Health and Noor Dubai will roll out a multi-pronged intervention strategy that focuses heavily on mass drug administration (MDA) of antiparasitic medications, vector control to reduce blackfly breeding sites, and enhanced epidemiological surveillance to track and eliminate residual transmission points.

Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye, the Minister for Health, commended the Noor Dubai Foundation for its long-standing commitment to global eye health and preventative care.

He emphasised that the partnership directly advances Ghana's national health agenda by easing the socio-economic burdens that tropical diseases place on rural farming communities located near river basins.

Broadening Healthcare Collaboration

Beyond the immediate elimination of river blindness, the partnership will also invest in strengthening regional healthcare infrastructure. The plan includes training local community health workers in advanced surveillance techniques and improving laboratory diagnostic capacities to ensure accurate monitoring.

Dr Manal Taryam, CEO of the Noor Dubai Foundation, highlighted the foundation’s vision of sustainable health delivery. She remarked that eliminating preventable blindness is crucial for community empowerment and expressed confidence that combining Ghana's public health framework with the foundation’s technical and financial expertise will help meet the 2030 target.