The objective of the Onchocerciasis Control Progininme (OCP) is to eliminate onchocerciasis as a disease of public îinportance and as an obstacle to socio-economic development. The OCP was initially based solely OIT the control of the blaclcfly vector, Simulium damnosum sensu lato, by insecticide spraying of the breeding sites on river systems, where larval stages develop. Results of monitoring...

During the past three decades, onchocerciasis control has been successful in reducing blindness and skin disease in Africa and the Americas. In this article, I review the control and elimination of Onchocerca volvulus as a public health problem. The success of onchocerciasis control has been the result of secure financing, generous drug donation, effective partnership between stakeholders, and ...

The first draft of this case was prepared by Jane Seymour and Molly Kinder; significant contributions to the current version were made by Bruce Benton. as in a prominent square in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, visitors see a distinctive statue of a child leading a blind man—a symbolic reminder to passersby of the part each partner played in the control of one of Africa’s most devastating diseases....

Introduction Onchocerciasis, or ‘river-blindness’, is a disease caused by infection with the filarial worm, Onchocerca volvulus. The parasite is transmitted to human hosts by infected female ‘blackflies’, Simulium spp., as they feed on the host’s blood. Whilst feeding, the fly secretes saliva containing infective larvae. These larvae enter the host’s subcutaneous tissue, migrate, and form nodul...

www.thelancet.com Published online January 17, 2018 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30101-6 1 Onchocerciasis, which is a disease caused by the filarial worm Onchocerca volvulus, is transmitted from individual to individual by Simulium black flies that breed in fast flowing rivers. The millions of larvae (microfilariae) released by the adult parasites invade skin and eyes where they can ...