WHO: 180.3 million received preventive treatment for river blindness in 2025
A 9 October WHO progress report says 180.3 million of the 255.7 million people requiring preventive chemotherapy for onchocerciasis received it in 2025.
Source review period: 2025
Published: · Updated:
The source does not state the event date; the period shown is the source review period.
WHO’s 2025–2026 progress report on eliminating human onchocerciasis says 255.7 million people required preventive chemotherapy in 2025 and 180.3 million received treatment. That corresponds to 70.5% global coverage and the largest annual number treated since the programme began. The disease, also called river blindness, is transmitted by blackflies.
The report says ivermectin mass drug administration had stopped in 310 implementation units previously affected by active transmission. Among 1,665 units requiring treatment in 2025, 1,350 delivered it; 92.6% of those units achieved effective coverage. Country coverage varied, and three countries did not implement mass drug administration in 2025. These programme figures describe delivery, not proof that transmission has ended everywhere.
Data
Global programme counts for 2025
WHO-reported 2025 figures for onchocerciasis preventive chemotherapy and mass drug administration.
| People requiring preventive chemotherapy in 2025 | 255700000 | Global estimate in WHO report; count converted from 255.7 million. |
| People treated in 2025 | 180300000 | Global reported total; report identifies this as the highest annual number treated. |
| Implementation units that delivered mass drug administration | 1350 | Of 1,665 units requiring mass drug administration in 2025. |
Methodology
Values taken from the WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record report published 9 October 2026. People counts are converted from millions to absolute counts; percentage coverage remains in the narrative.
Updated:
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