Abstract
In 1974 an Onchocerciasis Control Programme (OCP) was established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in seven West African countries. This review discusses the economic, scientific and other factors which led to its establishment as well as the way in which concern about it long term success led to the setting up of a WHO Independent Commission. The Commission recommended that the Programme should gradually be expanded westward, that a chemotherapy fund should be established to support the development and testing of new drugs against onchocercia is and that some activities of the Programme should be progressively devolved to the participating countries to enable them to maintain onchocerciasis control. A number of implications for other health programmes and for development in general are discussed.
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