Assignment # 6. W H O - PROJECTS. Discuss one unique Health care project with Details.

Onchocerciasis Control in Africa. ================================== Onchcerciasis is commonly known as River Blindness. The bacteria that causes River blindness is transmited to humans through the bite of an infected blackfly . In 1974, the Onchcerciasis Control Programme [OCP] was established with the sole purpose of eliminating this disease in 11 African countries. There was a widespread use of insecticides by OCP to kill the blackfly vector of this debilitating disease. The elimination of this disease is centered on the community directed treatment with the drug - Ivermectin. Through this programme, the communities decide which member of the community will be trained in the delivery and treatment , and they also monitor the programme process as well as its progress. In 1987, the manufacturer of Ivermectin - Merck & co , inc, registered the drug for human use. The company pledged to donate the drug free of charge indefinitely. So in 1995, a team of African scientist were recruited by WHO and its partners including the World Bank,and the Unicef, to find a better cost effective and much sustainable method of delivering the drug - Ivermectin. This led to the establishment of the African Programme for Onchocersiasis control, [APOC] .The main objective of this establishment is to eradicate this disease fron African countries were the disease remains endermic.

WHO +APOC - COUNTRIES. ----------------------------------------The African programme for Onchocerciasis control is a much bigger partnership involving the following 19 African countries: 1]Angola. 2]Burundi. 3]Central African Republic. 4]Chad . 5]Congo. 6]Democratic of Congo. 7]Ethiopia. 8] Equotorial Guinea. 9]Gabon. 10]Ghana.. 11]Kenya.. 12]Liberia 13]Malawi. 14]Mozambique 15]Nigeria. 16Ruwanda. 17]Sudan. 18]Tanzania. 19]Uganda.

Following the establishment of APOC, a total of 34 higher institutions of learning, medical and nursing schools from nine east and southern African countries agreed to introduce the Community Directed Intervention, [CDI] strategy in their curricula to "expand the use of the innovative and cost effective strategy".[The Magazine -15 years of APOC] . THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF APOC. ------------------------------------------------

This programme has witnessed a remarkable success with the involvement of more than 1 million trained community drug distributors. A total of over 75,146 Health care workers have been trained. Other achievements include the following: * Protection of over 102 million at risk individuals in 19 African countries. * A 108 projects running in 15 countries of Africa. * A 146,000 communities involved.in the eradication process. * Over 68 million people treated in 2009 and over 90 million in 2010. * The itching prevalence was reduced 68% between 1995 and 2008. * Over 8 million cases prevented since the commencement of the operation. * The prevalence of Onchocerciasis blindness droped from 40% to 28% . [The Magazine - 15 years of APOC]

THE APOC MANDATE --------------------------------The mandate for the African Programme for Onchocerciasis control, APOC, will end in 2015, By that time, APOC's aim is to transfer all the responsibilities for Onchocerciasis control to ministries of Health of each of the African countries and to encourage the ministries to provide financial support on an on - going basis. The objective of this strategy is to establish country-led systems capable of eradicating this disease as a public Health problem in all of the African countries.