Sightsavers delivers the one billionth treatment for River Blindness, a parasite-borne condition that leads to severe disability and the destruction of entire communities. Because of mass treatment programmes like those run by Sightsavers, young children like Dorcas can live a very different life to her grandfather, who was made blind by river blindness.

Our team was was there to witness this incredible moment, reminding us how incredibly important this work is.

On the 13th December 2017 the billionth treatment for neglected tropical diseases was celebrated across the world.

Sightsavers hosted events in Cambridge, UK and Abuja, Nigeria as well as distributing a powerful film we made on the backstory of river blindness in 7 other countries. We focussed on three characters in the film, a blind grandfather, his sighted daughter and a community drug distributor, the life-line of mass drug administrations that have been happening across the world for the past 7 years.

We provided not only the film but a live-stream between Cambridge and Abuja allowing the minister of health to talk to delegates in the UK and giving them a chance to meet the community drug distributor live on screen. We also covered the event itself to share with stakeholders, marking a truly global day in the fight against NTDs and in celebration of effective collaboration between parties across the world.

This film looks at the success in overcoming a crippling disease that has besieged Nigeria, and large parts of Africa for decades. Onchocerciasis, commonly known as river blindness causes unbearable itching and ultimately blindness to the point where river-side communities were abandoned.

Thanks to the dedication of people like Nasarawa State Coordinator for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Jacob Righain, the support of NGO partners The Carter Center and donation of the treating drug Mectizan by Merck & Co., local communities have been empowered to break the transmission of river blindness and create a platform for future disease interventions.

Filmed just before the COVID-19 lockdown kicked in, we worked with a talented Nigerian crew to get right to the heart of the story. We edited back in the UK and created a bespoke soundtrack to help transport the viewer deeper into the world of neglected tropical diseases.

It forms part of a wider suite of films used in different ways that have told the Mectizan Donation Program story over the years, collaborating with multiple global partners from the Nigerian Ministry of Health and local government, to Sightsavers, the Carter Center and other key players in the game to get full engagement from the offset.

Annual summary films are always de-rigeur as the year draws to a close. For many organisations working in global health they need to show the impact of their efforts.

This year for Mectizan Donation Program we decided to shout their anthem at the top of their voices.

Working with a native voice over artist from Kenya, a powerful trailer-like soundtrack – and some topflight editing – we created a film that the client LOVED!

“This is the best of the best! Thank you for all your hard work delivering these powerful messages throughout the year.”

Yao Sodahlon, Director Mectizan Donation Program

Commissioned for the Mectizan Donation Program‘s annual event – held this year in Bogota – this film looks at the impact of PAHO (Pan American Health Organization), funded by the Carter Center. Whilst huge success has already been attributed to the donation program of Mectizan for River Blindness thanks to MSD/Merck, there are still 35,000 Yanomami Indians in the Amazon Jungle who are still at risk, where access is challenging to say the least.

With limited archive and mainly stills available, and without the opportunity for us to film footage ourselves (as we prefer to do!), for this film we decided to take a more contemporary, minimalist approach using sound design, a rhythmic soundtrack and playful text manipulation to let the words on screen deliver maximum impact.

We delivered the film for the event in Spanish, while providing Spanish and English versions for social media – delivered in portrait format to make sure it hit the top of peoples feeds on Instagram and LinkedIn.

”We were very happy with our video “5 Billion Mectizan Treatments – The Americas” produced by Cloud9Media. They handled the challenges of a complicated story, limited footage, and a multilingual audience to create a powerful piece in three languages. We debuted the video at an important meeting where it was very well received, generating positive energy and momentum.

We rely on the expertise of the Cloud9Media team to produce appealing and informative videos to reach our global audience.”

Virginia Murray, Communications Manager, MDP

Merck Mectizan Donation Program Film

Client Brief
Merck asked us to create a film celebrating 5 billion Mectizan treatments donated for river blindness and elephantiasis. They wanted a piece to share with staff and show at their main factory in Haarlem. Therefore, the goal was to highlight the program’s scale, impact, and Merck’s long-term commitment.

Our Approach
First, we combined staff interviews from last year’s annual event with archival footage from years of filming the Mectizan Donation Program across multiple countries. This approach allowed us to show both the human and operational impact of the program.

Next, our MD, Steve Maud, composed a soundtrack called The Promise, inspired by Merck’s motto: “As much as needed, for as long as needed.” The music guided the narrative and emphasized the dedication behind the program. Additionally, by blending heartfelt interviews, historical footage, and cinematic visuals, we illustrated the difference 35 years of commitment has made to communities around the world.

Impact and Results
As a result, the film premiered at Merck’s annual event and received enthusiastic applause. It reinforced the Mectizan Donation Program as a cornerstone of Merck’s work and strengthened staff pride. Furthermore, the film helped secure additional funding for the program and increased awareness of the company’s global impact.

Overall, by telling the story of Merck’s long-term commitment, the film demonstrates how strategic content can educate, inspire, and celebrate at the same time. The Merck Mectizan Donation Program film commemorated a historic milestone and created a shared sense of purpose among staff. In this way, it made the scale and importance of the initiative tangible and meaningful for everyone who watched it.

Mme Chebin is on the frontline of community drug distribution to eradicate Onchocerciasis (also known as oncho). She lets nothing get in the way of her making sure that each and every person takes their Mectizan treatment in her community in Cameroon.

The effectiveness of partners in the Task Force For Global Health‘s programmes such as Mectizan Donation Program are thanks to a global network that reaches far-off places that are often without formal medical infrastructure. For last mile delivery of lifesaving medicine, its often down to community drug distributors like Mme Chebin to come to the aid of their fellow community members.

This interview on the fight against oncho and many others from this trip to Cameroon was the result of using a local core team working with local partners and a shooting director from the UK, Lewis Davies filming to a script and schedule that allowed for space to spend time with people like Mme Chebin.

As experts in global health storytelling, we’ve had many opportunities to hone our craft, and get to understand the realities on the ground that make for emotive stories which burst the bubble. Years of fine-tuning our approach to interviews, and the use of a trusted network of local expert filmmakers, have enabled us to develop our approach and deliver video content that are compelling and deliver key messaging where it’s needed.

To find out more about how we craft films that have positive impact, take a look at our Malaria Storytelling article.

This film is part of a larger series we produced for the Mectizan Donation Program in which we detail the full history and journey of Mectizan pills. From the initiation of testing Ivermectin as a treatment for Onchocerciasis and on to the rollout of its distribution across the world, the series shares the success of a simple yet effective way to bring life-changing results to many millions of people worldwide.

In this, the 3rd film of the 5-part series, we highlight the pivotal role of Community-Directed Distributors who play a key role in Mectizan donation. These volunteers ensure that members of their communities have constant access to treatment for Onchocerciasis and Lymphatic Filariasis, and reach some of the most remote parts of their countries in order to ensure these diseases can be eliminated.

We treated this particular episode like an action film, where CDDs are our hero. With fast and engaging montages we wanted to make sure the viewer is as impressed with these volunteers work as we are.