Emeka Offor donates $ 10m to Carter Centre fight River Blindness

Chief Emeka Offor ( L ) and Jimmy Carter

Nigerian Philanthropist, Chief Emeka Offor , on
Friday donated 10 million dollars to accelerate
the Carter Centre ’ s efforts to eliminate River
Blindness in Nigeria .
To this effect , the former US President, Mr
Jimmy Carter , and Offor signed an agreement
between the Carter Centre and Sir Emeka
Offor Foundation ( SEOF) for a partnership to
eliminate the disease from seven states in
Nigeria .
At the ceremony , Offor presented the cheque
for the sum to Carter.
Carter said the money from SEOF would extend
the reach of the Centre ’ s work in the Southeast
and South South of Nigeria and help reach the
goal of eliminating river blindness from the
world’ s most endemic country , Nigeria , by 2020.
Carter said it would also accelerate river
blindness elimination throughout Nigeria at a
pivotal time .
“The 10 million dollars multi - year commitment
of Sir Offor is the largest from an individual
African donor in the Carter Centre history .
“The new resources will fund two- thirds of the
Carter Centre ’ s expanded interventions against
river blindness in Nigeria to meet the five - year
target to eliminate the disease nationwide, ”
Carter said .
On his part, Offor said : “I am deeply honoured
to work closely with the Carter Centre to help
eliminate river blindness .
“Nigeria has more cases of the disease than any
other country in the world.
“Yet , we know that with adequate resources ,
hard work and perseverance , we can defeat this
terrible neglected disease that can steal a
person’ s ability to see the beauty of the world in
which we live in , enjoy full and active life, ” he
said ,
He said that it was estimated that up to 31
million Nigerians needed treatment to prevent
unnecessary suffering caused by the ancient
disease.
He said the grant would support activities to
expedite elimination of river blindness in
Nigeria , the world ’ s most endemic country for
the parasitic disease.
NAN reports that the Carter Centre is in a
partnership with Nigeria to reduce the
prevalence of neglected diseases , such as river
blindness .
For nearly two decades , the centre has assisted
the Ministry of Health in nine states to fight
river blindness through community - based health
education and mass drug administration of
Mectizan®, a microfilarial drug donated by the
U. S. pharmaceutical company Merck .
Until recently, the scientific community widely
believed that river blindness could not be
eliminated with drugs and health education alone
in Africa .
Since its inception in 1996, the Carter Centre’ s
River Blindness Programme has improved
coverage , increased the population it assists.
In February 2013, the Federal Minister of
Health of Nigeria announced the country ’ s bold
goal of nationwide elimination of river blindness
by 2020
Since the late - 1990s, Offor established SEOF , a
non - profit , charity, with a vision to reduce
poverty and create life- improving economic
opportunities for those residing in Nigeria ’ s
most marginalised communities through
education, health, and empowerment .