Since 1974 the Onchocerciasis Control Programme (OCP) of the WHO has been fighting the blackfly of West Africa. The pest transmits a disease commonly known as river blindness on account of its most feared manifestation. Vector control has been coupled with drug treatment in recent years. The OCP achievements are impressive and have generated much hope for a new great victory such as that against smallpox. There is, however, considerable scepticism about the ultimate results of the campaign due to reinvasion of flies, recrudescence and the undergoing devolution of OCP activities to the participating African countries. Although devolution of onchocerciasis control was part of the original strategy, there are now sound reasons for concern about its pace, its extent and its prospects. First, optimism about the economic and political future of the region has dramatically dropped since the inception of the campaign. Second, the success of vector control and the spread of other diseases threaten to remove onchocerciasis from the list of national health priorities. Finally, international fiscal constraints are likely to have a negative impact on the programme in the maintenance phase.
展开▼
