Global Onchocerciasis Network for Elimination (GONE)
A man who suffers from onchocerciasis at the Masongbo health center in the town of Masongbo, Sierra Leone.
About us
The Global Onchocerciasis Network for Elimination (GONE) drives a global partnership platform supporting countries to reach the global targets for elimination of onchocerciasis for 2030 set in the WHO road map for neglected tropical diseases.
The GONE network is open to all onchocerciasis stakeholders with demonstrated commitment to working towards the 2030 road map targets for onchocerciasis elimination.
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- To be inclusive and diverse in membership and structure, ensuring adequate representation from different stakeholder groups and geographical regions;
- To be transparent in all processes, including the operational strategy and GONE activities;
- To ensure all activities align with WHO’s norms and standards;
- To facilitate coordination among interested parties to advance WHO’s priorities on the road map 2030.
Main objectives
- To provide an inclusive and open access forum to improve communication, coordination, partnership and community of practice for all onchocerciasis stakeholders working closely to reach the 2030 road map targets for elimination of onchocerciasis.
- To conduct action oriented and effective advocacy working towards the 2030 road nap targets and milestones for onchocerciasis elimination.
Vision
To SEE onchocerciasis GONE!
Mission
To accelerate progress towards the achievement of the 2030 road map targets for onchocerciasis elimination.
Road map targets for onchocerciasis
The road map targets for the elimination of onchocerciasis are, by 2030: to stop mass drug administration (MDA) of ivermectin in at least one focus in 34 countries; to stop MDA in more than 50% of the population in at least 16 countries; to stop MDA in the entire endemic population of at least 12 countries; and to verify interruption of transmission in 12 countries.
Related publication
Ending the neglect to attain the Sustainable Development Goals: A road map for neglected...
Progress of onchocerciasis status worldwide
How we work
Launched in January 2023 by WHO, Member States and partners, GONE is a country driven network that brings together diverse stakeholders in order to improve communication, coordination and collaboration and accelerate progress towards onchocerciasis elimination.
Steering Group
The Steering Group provides strategic direction and guidance for how GONE will operate, mobilize collaboration and secure resources to accomplish GONE’s activities. It reviews annual priorities and monitors and evaluates activities to optimize GONE’s functioning and impact.
The Steering Group consists of a Chair (WHO), two Vice-chairs (at least one from an onchocerciasis-endemic country), donors and implementing partners, a representation of key constituencies. Vice-chairs will be confirmed by WHO for a period of two years after consultation with the GONE network participants who can make recommendations for Vice-chair positions. The Chair and Vice-chairs will define annual priorities, support and oversee their timely implementation, and liaise with relevant stakeholders to ensure prompt communication and effective problem-solving.
Operational office
WHO serves as the Secretariat of GONE which leads, manages and implements GONE’s day-to-day operations.
Working groups (WGs)
WGs will be created as required to leverage country and partner expertise and to execute activities around specific objectives in the partnership strategy and operational plan.
Member organizations of GONE
More
than 80 organizations, including health ministries of endemic countries,
non-governmental organizations, research institutes and foundations, have
joined the GONE network to date engaging in a range of network activities
contributing to GONE’s objectives.
Join us/membership
If
your organization is interested in learning more about becoming a member
organization of GONE or if you want to join the GONE network as an individual,
please contact us at rozendaaln@who.int.
WHO publications
All →WHO Onchocerciasis Technical Advisory Subgroup: report of the seventh meeting, Saly,...
Elimination of human onchocerciasis: progress report, 2023–2024
Onchocerciasis, more commonly known as river blindness, is a neglected tropical disease caused by the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus. The disease...
Work in progress
- Report on the seventh meeting of the Onchocerciasis Technical Advisory Subgroup (OTS)
- Onchocerciasis elimination mapping: a manual for national elimination programmes
- Integrating the assessment of onchocerciasis into a lymphatic filariasis transmission assessment survey (iTAS): A manual for national elimination programmes
- Coordinated action to eliminate onchocerciasis: a handbook for national onchocerciasis elimination and expert advisory committees (NOECs) in Africa
- A mapping and treatment delivery strategy for onchocerciasis in loiasis co-endemic settings (a meeting in being planned in August 2024 to start drafting this future tool)
- Moxidectin guidelines for Onchocerciasis and LF treatment
External publications
Latest news
All →Feature story
About Onchocerciasis
Webinar reports
All →GONE webinar report: Eliminating onchocerciasis in Côte d'Ivoire: reaching the last mile
Onchocerciasis is complex to manage and requires a multisectoral approach for successful control. Despite the difficulties, significant progress has been...
Onchocerciasis control efforts in Mali began in 1975 with vector larviciding conducted by the Onchocerciasis Control Programme (OCP), followed by the distribution...
Cross-border collaboration
According to the 2016 WHO guidelines for stopping MDA and verification of elimination of onchocerciasis, acknowledgment of elimination requires that areas immediately surrounding a country have interrupted transmission. Efficient and active cross-border coordination is required to achieve elimination targets and to prevent recrudescence where interruption of transmission has been achieved.
Enhancing cross-border collaboration is one of the priority areas of the GONE network. Endemic areas that contain national borders present an important challenge to the success of elimination of onchocerciasis and require unification of programme activities. The effectiveness of cross-border collaboration can be hindered by issues such as inadequate financial resources, logistical challenges for synchronizing elimination strategies, language barriers, insecurity, conflict, and population mobility.
High-level advocacy to establish collaboration agreements between countries, resource mobilization to support cross-border activities, data collection and sharing have been identified as priorities. Synchronization of MDA, inclusion of cross-border collaboration activities in the meeting agendas of the Onchocerciasis Elimination Committee and the empowerment of local district working groups have also been identified as important factors for improving cross-border collaboration. National onchocerciasis elimination programmes collaborate to ensure that no one is left behind.
Meeting report 7 May 2024 (upload attached report)
Meeting report 2 July 2024 (upload attached report)
GONE is collaborating with Sightsavers who have created an open-access geospatial application called CrossRoads to support Ministries of Health and implementing partners with cross-border geographic data review. GONE is gathering cross-border data and facilitating trainings on the application. More country group applications will be finalized over the coming months.
At this website you can find more information on CrossRoads.
National onchocerciasis elimination committees (NOECs)
National onchocerciasis elimination committees (NOECs) serve to help ministries of health complete the pathway to successful verification of elimination of onchocerciasis, as outlined in the 2016 World Health Organization guidelines for stopping mass drug administration and verifying elimination of human onchocerciasis.