About the Authors

Didier Bakajika

Roles Investigation, Project administration, Supervision, Writing – review & editing

Current address: ESPEN, African Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO/AFRO/ESPEN), Brazzaville, Republic of Congo

Affiliation Centre de Recherche en Maladies Tropicale de l’Ituri, Hôpital Générale de Référence de Rethy, Ituri, Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Eric M. Kanza

Roles Investigation, Project administration, Supervision, Writing – review & editing

Current address: Programme Nationale de Lutte contre les Maladies Tropicales Négligées à Chimiothérapie Préventive (PNLMTN-CTP), Ministère de la Santé Publique, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Affiliation Centre de Recherche Clinique de Butembo, Université Catholique du Graben, Site Horizon, Butembo, Nord Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Nicholas O. Opoku

Roles Data curation, Investigation, Project administration, Supervision, Writing – review & editing

Current address: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Hohoe, Ghana

Affiliation Onchocerciasis Chemotherapy Research Center, Hohoe, Ghana

Hayford M. Howard

Roles Investigation, Project administration, Supervision, Writing – review & editing

Current address: Ganta United Methodist Hospital, Ganta City, Nimba County, Liberia

Affiliation Clinical Research Center, Liberia Institute for Biomedical Research, Bolahun, Liberia

Germain L. Mambandu

Roles Investigation, Writing – review & editing

Current address: Inspection Provinciale de la Santé de la Tshopo, Division Provinciale de la Santé de la Tshopo, Kisangani, Province de la Tshopo, DRC

Affiliation Centre de Recherche en Maladies Tropicale de l’Ituri, Hôpital Générale de Référence de Rethy, Ituri, Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Amos Nyathirombo

Roles Investigation, Writing – review & editing

Current address: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Gulu University, Gulu, Uganda

Affiliation Centre de Recherche en Maladies Tropicale de l’Ituri, Hôpital Générale de Référence de Rethy, Ituri, Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Maurice M. Nigo

Roles Investigation, Writing – review & editing

Current address: Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Nyankunde, Bunia, Ituri, DRC

Affiliation Centre de Recherche en Maladies Tropicale de l’Ituri, Hôpital Générale de Référence de Rethy, Ituri, Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Kambale Kasonia Kennedy

Roles Investigation, Writing – review & editing

Current address: Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK

Affiliation Centre de Recherche Clinique de Butembo, Université Catholique du Graben, Site Horizon, Butembo, Nord Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Safari L. Masembe

† Deceased.

Roles Investigation, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation Centre de Recherche Clinique de Butembo, Université Catholique du Graben, Site Horizon, Butembo, Nord Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Mupenzi Mumbere

Roles Investigation, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation Centre de Recherche Clinique de Butembo, Université Catholique du Graben, Site Horizon, Butembo, Nord Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Kambale Kataliko

Roles Investigation, Writing – review & editing

Current address: Centre de Santé CECA 20 de Mabakanga, Beni, Nord Kivu, DRC

Affiliation Centre de Recherche Clinique de Butembo, Université Catholique du Graben, Site Horizon, Butembo, Nord Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Kpehe M. Bolay

Roles Investigation, Writing – review & editing

Current address: National Public Health Institute of Liberia, Public Health & Medical Research, Monrovia, Liberia

Affiliation Clinical Research Center, Liberia Institute for Biomedical Research, Bolahun, Liberia

Simon K. Attah

Roles Investigation, Writing – review & editing

Current address: Department of Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana

Affiliation Onchocerciasis Chemotherapy Research Center, Hohoe, Ghana

George Olipoh

Roles Investigation, Writing – review & editing

Current address: Precious Minerals Marketing Company Ltd., National Assay Centre, Technical Department, Diamond House, Accra, Ghana

Affiliation Onchocerciasis Chemotherapy Research Center, Hohoe, Ghana

Sampson Asare

Roles Investigation, Writing – review & editing

Current address: GlycoScience Research Inc, Brookings, South Dakota, United States of America

Affiliation Onchocerciasis Chemotherapy Research Center, Hohoe, Ghana

Michel Vaillant

Roles Data curation, Formal analysis, Software, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation Competence Center for Methodology and Statistics, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Strassen, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Christine M. Halleux

Roles Data curation, Project administration, Resources, Supervision, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (WHO/TDR), World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland

Annette C. Kuesel

Roles Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Supervision, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

kuesela@who.int

Affiliation UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (WHO/TDR), World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland

Competing Interests

I have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: ACK and CMH are staff of WHO which funded the work of all co-authors on the study whose data are analysed here through its department UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR). Author Safari L Masembe was unable to confirm their authorship contributions. On their behalf, the corresponding author has reported their contributions to the best of their knowledge.