IBRD Trust Funds - World Bank

Published purpose

The purpose of this project is to establish, by 2015, a system capable of eliminating onchocerciasis (river blindness) as a public health problem in all African countries. It aims to create a system which could be used as a basis for introducing other health interventions. The project activities include: providing the training, expertise, and equipment needed to combat onchocerciasis at the community level among an estimated population of 120 million; training national health workers and providing the expertise needed to develop and implement national onchocerciasis policies, plans, and programs designed to train 550,000 people to distribute medicine to communities; and conducting research on available treatments and their long-term effects. Onchoceriasis (commonly known as river blindness) is a parasitic disease that can cause blindness, skin rashes, lesions, intense itching, and skin depigmentation.