ADF gives 2.64 million dollars for oncho control programme

The African Development Fund (ADF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have signed a grant agreement of two million Units of Account, equivalent to 2.64 million dollars under the Technical Assistance Fund (TAF) to finance the second phase (2002-2010) of the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC).

The Agreement was signed in Tunis on Friday by Mr Bisi Ogunjobi, African Development Bank Vice President in charge of West and Central Operations and the Director of the APOC Programme, Mr Azodoga Seketeli, on behalf of the WHO.

A statement sent to the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday said the programme aimed to establish an effective, sustainable and autonomous system of treatment with ivermectin in all the endemic zones.

It would help to eliminate the vector of the disease in selected areas through the use of pesticides that do not have a negative impact on ecosystems.

The statement said the programme would involve research on a microfilarialcide usable in a mass campaign.

It would also support operational research to strengthen the APOC scientific base to confront the challenges encountered during the treatment with ivermectin.

Furthermore, the programme would contribute to the sensitisation of health personnel and the communities as well as the training of the National Onchocerciasis Task Force (NOTF) officials while ensuring constant environmental monitoring of treated waterways and soils.

It is expected to contribute to poverty reduction and improve the well being of the populations through the eradication of onchocerciasis, which represents a public health problem and an obstacle to socio-economic development since people tend to abandon fertile areas because of the disease.

Mr Ogunjobi said the Bank had supported the campaign since it was launched in 1975, when only 11 countries in West Africa were involved.

Donors expanded the programme in 1996 to enable more countries to enjoy its huge benefits, he said.

The new accord covering the period 2002 to 2010 would benefit 19 African countries, 14 of them directly. These are: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Ethiopia, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, Uganda, Central Africa Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Tanzania, and Chad.

Onchocerciasis, commonly called River Blindness, is caused by the pre-larval (micro-filaria) and in the adult stage of the nematode Onchocerca volvulus it could cause serious ill-health including blindness.

The disease is transmitted by the bite of female Simulium (black flies) found near rapidly flowing rivers and streams in more than 25 countries in Africa. Up to 70 million people are known to be potentially at risk of getting the disease in Africa.