The Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas: a history of partnership
The decision in 1987 by the pharmaceutical firm Merck & Co. to provide Mectizan® (ivermectin) free of charge to river blindness control programs has challenged the international public health community to find effective ways to distribute the drug to rural populations most affected by onchocerci...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Pan American Health Organization
1998-01-01
|
Series: | Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública |
Online Access: | http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1020-49891998000600002 |
id |
doaj-3292e678d667422bb6faa5e3a68c9322 |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-3292e678d667422bb6faa5e3a68c93222020-11-24T23:45:49ZengPan American Health OrganizationRevista Panamericana de Salud Pública1020-49891998-01-0136367374The Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas: a history of partnershipBlanks JRichards FBeltrán FCollins RÁlvarez EFlores G. ZeaBauler BCedillos RHeisler MBrandling-Bennett DBaldwin WBayona MKlein RJacox MThe decision in 1987 by the pharmaceutical firm Merck & Co. to provide Mectizan® (ivermectin) free of charge to river blindness control programs has challenged the international public health community to find effective ways to distribute the drug to rural populations most affected by onchocerciasis. In the Americas, PAHO responded to that challenge by calling for the elimination of all morbidity from onchocerciasis from the Region by the year 2007 through mass distribution of ivermectin. Since 1991, a multinational, multiagency partnership (consisting of PAHO, the endemic countries, nongovernmental development organizations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as academic institutions and funding agencies) has developed the political, financial, and technical support needed to move toward the realization of that goal. This partnership is embodied in the Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas (OEPA), which is supported by the River Blindness Foundation (RBF) and now by the Carter Center. OEPA was conceived as a means of maintaining a regional initiative to eliminate what is otherwise a low priority disease. Since its inception in 1993, the OEPA has provided more than US$ 2 million in financial, managerial, and technical assistance to stimulate and/or support programs in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Venezuela, so as to take full advantage of the Merck donation. Now halfway into a five-year, US$ 4 million grant provided through the Inter-American Development Bank, the OEPA's capacity to support the regional initiative is assured through 1999.http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1020-49891998000600002 |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Blanks J Richards F Beltrán F Collins R Álvarez E Flores G. Zea Bauler B Cedillos R Heisler M Brandling-Bennett D Baldwin W Bayona M Klein R Jacox M |
spellingShingle |
Blanks J Richards F Beltrán F Collins R Álvarez E Flores G. Zea Bauler B Cedillos R Heisler M Brandling-Bennett D Baldwin W Bayona M Klein R Jacox M The Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas: a history of partnership Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública |
author_facet |
Blanks J Richards F Beltrán F Collins R Álvarez E Flores G. Zea Bauler B Cedillos R Heisler M Brandling-Bennett D Baldwin W Bayona M Klein R Jacox M |
author_sort |
Blanks J |
title |
The Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas: a history of partnership |
title_short |
The Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas: a history of partnership |
title_full |
The Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas: a history of partnership |
title_fullStr |
The Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas: a history of partnership |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas: a history of partnership |
title_sort |
onchocerciasis elimination program for the americas: a history of partnership |
publisher |
Pan American Health Organization |
series |
Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública |
issn |
1020-4989 |
publishDate |
1998-01-01 |
description |
The decision in 1987 by the pharmaceutical firm Merck & Co. to provide Mectizan® (ivermectin) free of charge to river blindness control programs has challenged the international public health community to find effective ways to distribute the drug to rural populations most affected by onchocerciasis. In the Americas, PAHO responded to that challenge by calling for the elimination of all morbidity from onchocerciasis from the Region by the year 2007 through mass distribution of ivermectin. Since 1991, a multinational, multiagency partnership (consisting of PAHO, the endemic countries, nongovernmental development organizations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as academic institutions and funding agencies) has developed the political, financial, and technical support needed to move toward the realization of that goal. This partnership is embodied in the Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas (OEPA), which is supported by the River Blindness Foundation (RBF) and now by the Carter Center. OEPA was conceived as a means of maintaining a regional initiative to eliminate what is otherwise a low priority disease. Since its inception in 1993, the OEPA has provided more than US$ 2 million in financial, managerial, and technical assistance to stimulate and/or support programs in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Venezuela, so as to take full advantage of the Merck donation. Now halfway into a five-year, US$ 4 million grant provided through the Inter-American Development Bank, the OEPA's capacity to support the regional initiative is assured through 1999. |
url |
http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1020-49891998000600002 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT blanksj theonchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT richardsf theonchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT beltranf theonchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT collinsr theonchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT alvareze theonchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT floresgzea theonchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT baulerb theonchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT cedillosr theonchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT heislerm theonchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT brandlingbennettd theonchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT baldwinw theonchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT bayonam theonchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT kleinr theonchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT jacoxm theonchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT blanksj onchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT richardsf onchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT beltranf onchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT collinsr onchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT alvareze onchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT floresgzea onchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT baulerb onchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT cedillosr onchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT heislerm onchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT brandlingbennettd onchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT baldwinw onchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT bayonam onchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT kleinr onchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership AT jacoxm onchocerciasiseliminationprogramfortheamericasahistoryofpartnership |
_version_ |
1725495555854958592 |