The World Health Organization (WHO) congratulates Niger on meeting the standards for eliminating onchocerciasis (also known as "river blindness"), making it the fifth country in the world and the first in Africa confirmed by WHO to have interrupted the transmission of onchocerciasis. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, said: "Eliminating onchocerciasis is a major achievement that requires unremitting efforts. Nigers success has freed its people from this blinding, stigmatizing disease that causes great pain to poor populations. This achievement once again proves that we have made remarkable progress in the fight against neglected tropical diseases, and also brings hope to other countries that are still coping with onchocerciasis, showing that the elimination of this disease is possible."