Global Health Solutions

The International Trachoma Initiative (ITI) works tirelessly for a world free from trachoma, even in the midst of a global pandemic. ITI contributes to eliminating trachoma as a public health threat by stewarding Pfizer's donation of Zithromax(R) to treat and prevent the condition; building and strengthening partnerships to accelerate progress; and developing innovative tools to share data. Between September 2021 to August 2022, ITI organized just-in-time shipments of 42.2 million treatments for trachoma to be distributed at MDAs in 17 countries. As of August 2022, ITI has shipped more than 997.7 million treatments to trachoma-endemic countries since the program's inception in 1999. ITI continued its data management support for Tropical Data, a free mobile phone-based service to support trachoma programs as they conduct prevalence surveys, providing them with robust data for decision-making on where antibiotic treatments are needed and where they can be stopped. Since its inception in February 2016, Tropical Data has supported over 3,300 surveys across 50 countries. As a key player in the global trachoma community, there have been tremendous achievements in reducing the population at risk of blindness from trachoma from an estimated 1.2 billion people in 2000 to 125.0 million in June 2022 according to the World Health Organization's (WHO) Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER). ITI will continue to work smarter so that the dream of a trachoma-free world becomes a reality.

Mectizan Donation Program achievements were seen in these areas: Onchocerciasis: In 2022, 252.7 million (252,697,329) treatments were approved for 24 countries, territories or regions in Africa and the Middle East (i.e. Yemen). Program Downscaling: 45.3 million (45,337,690) people no longer need treatment for onchocerciasis, though 14.2 million (14,245,196) will continue receiving Mectizan-based treatments until the districts are eligible to stop treatment for LF. Onchocerciasis has been officially eliminated in four countries - Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Mexico. In other countries, treatment with Mectizan has stopped in at least 1 focus / district / state including Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Mali, Nigeria, Sudan, Uganda, Malawi, and Venezuela. Niger has stopped treatment for onchocerciasis and the ministry of health is working on submitting dossier for elimination to the World Health Organization. Lymphatic Filariasis: Since the inception of the program in 2000, in countries where onchocerciasis and LF are co-endemic, treatment for LF has stopped in 1,385 implementation units (out of 2,205 endemic units) where 294.5 million (294,510,861) people no longer need treatment with Mectizan and albendazole. However, 55.3 million (55,346,926) of these people will continue to receive Mectizan treatment for the elimination of onchocerciasis. In 2022, 165.1 million (165,051,922) treatments were approved for 24 countries, territories or regions in Africa, Asia and the Pacific.This also includes 61.6 million (61,635,339) treatments approved in 2022 for 6 countries, territories or regions implementing IDA (India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, and Samoa). The donation of Mectizan will continue until both diseases (lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis) are completely eliminated.