Onchocerciasis or River Blindness

The Farmer And Fisherman Who Lost His Sight To River Blindness Emmanuel Kwame, 60 (NPR)

Above is an image of Emmanuel Kwame of Ghana who suffers from Onchocerciasis, otherwise known as River Blindness among locals. Kwame has been affected by River Blindness for 40 years at this point and hasn't allowed his disability  to take advantage of his life as an avid farmer and fisherman. 

Onchocerciasis, (or River Blindness) is caused by a roundworm infection which is spread by black flies. Kwame explains, "I started having nodules [lumps of worms just under the skin] and swelling all over my body, and then it would appear as if some worms were on my eyes. I would see them moving across my eyes and I realized my eyes were no good."  Hundreds of thousands of larvae spread throughout the affected persons body and blindness occurs once the majority of these worms disease, just below the surface of the person's skin. 

The Ghana village of Asubende has seen far too many cases of this disease. Six out of twelve of Kwame siblings have fallen victims of blindness. Thirty years ago, 80 percent of Asubende residents were affected with the disease. After the distribution of Ivermectin (the drug which kills the parasite associated with River Blindness) in the late 1980s, the infected number of residents has dropped just below 3 percent. Kwame's generation seems to be the last one infected with onchoceriasis, and the Ghanans hope that remains true. 

Although we see tragedy while looking at the life of Emmanuel Kwame and others in his situation,we also see inspiration. For his disability does not keep him from earning a living and continuing his  life as a farmer and fisherman. If Kwame had happened to be a United States citizen, he'd receive benefits from the government to accommodate for his disability, but this isn't the case. It's important that we recognize all of the privileges we endure as Americans because in other areas on this globe, such as Ghana, people aren't so fortunate.