Abstract
Onchocerciasis, or river blindness, is caused by the filarial parasite Onchocerca volvulus. The disease has been a scourge of many of the poorest people in some of the least developed areas of the world. River blindness not only robs people of their sight during what should be the most productive periods of their lives, but also has rendered much of the arable lands of sub-Saharan Africa unavailable for agricultural use. The devastating socioeconomic effects of this disease have motivated the international community to implement three large programmes whose goal is to eliminate the disease. These programmes include the Onchocerciasis Control Programme in West Africa (OCP), the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC), and the Onchocerciasis Elimination Program of the Americas (OEPA). Effects of standard and high doses of ivermectin on adult worms of Onchocerca volvulus: a randomised controlled trialTreatment with 3-monthly ivermectin could greatly reduce the number of female worms and acute itching and skin lesions; lower transmission of O volvulus; and change the duration of control programmes. Full-Text PDF
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