Niger has become the first African country to interrupt the transmission of river blindness, a parasitic disease, the WHO announced on Thursday.
This achievement makes Niger the fifth country globally to eliminate transmission of onchocerciasis, the second-leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide.
"I congratulate Niger for its commitment to liberating its population from this blinding, stigmatizing illness that causes so much human suffering among the poorest," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, noting that this achievement "requires tireless dedication."
Tedros hailed Niger's success as proof that eliminating river blindness is achievable, offering hope to other affected nations.