Report of the NGDO coordination group for onchocerciasis control including the support of the group to APOC's activities

African Programme for Onchocerciasrs Control (APOC) Programme africain de lutte contre I'onchocercose JAF-F'ACJOINT ACTION FORUM Office of the Chairman JOINT ACTION FORUM Tenth session Kinshasa (DRC). 7-9 December 2004 FORUM D'ACTION COMMUNE Bureau du Pr6sident JAF1O.9 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH September 2004 Item 7 of the Provisional Agenda REPORT OF THE NGDO COORDINATION GROUP FOR ONCHOCERCIASIS CONTROL INCLUDING THE SUPPORT OF THE GROUP TO APOC'S ACTIVITIES THE NGIDO COOruDINATION GROUP FOR ONCHOCERCIISrc CONTBOL Report to the 10th Session of the Joint Action Forum Report for Year 2004 SUDAN GRBP/CBM OCP o Group Members: Christoffel-Blindenmission (CBM) Helen Keller International (HKI) Interchurch Medical Assistance, Inc. (IMA) Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) Mecitzan@ Donation Program (MDP) Mission to Save the Helpless (MITOSATH) Organisation pour la Pr6vention de la C6cit6 (OPC) Sight Savers International (SSD The Carter Center (GRBP) US Fund for UNICEF TANZANIA sst/tMA/HKt CHAD OPCMALI sst/oPc/HKt BURKINA FASO HKI CAR CBMSENEGAL oPc GUINEA sst/oPc/HKt SIERRA LEONE ss, TOGO ss, ETHIOPIA GRBP/LCIF GHANA ss,LIBERIA ss, UGANDA GRBp/SSt COTE D'IVOIRE HKI CAMEROON HKI/SSI/GRBP IEF/LCIF CBM/SSI/GRB LCIF/MITOSATH NIGERIA ON opc MALAWIIEF CONGO oPc DRC CBM/IMA/ LCIF APOC WHO/PBD Page 2 1. INTRODUCTION As reported in December 2003, Mr Paul Derstine who had ably led the Group as Chairperson over the previous two years, was replaced by Dr. Adrian Hopkins and in March 2004 Ms Catherine Cross kindly accepted the role of Vice-Chair for one year. Mectizan@ treatment within the APOC, OCP and OEPA programmes has increased from 34 million in 2002 to an annual treatment of 37 .5 million in 2003 through the NGDO-supported proj ects. Members of the NGDOs contributed over US $10 million to onchocerciasis control in 2003 and in this global effort, NGDOs to date have contributed over US $70 million. Many NGDOs and partners have once more used CDTI strategy to integrate additional health and development activities into the programme, including vitamin A distribution, trachoma, cataract case finding, malaria, lyrnphatic filariasis and schistosomiasis. This report covers activities carried out since the 9th session of the Joint Action Forum. The key activities highlighted include: NGDO-supported Mectizan@ distribution; 23'd and,Z4th NGDO Group meetings; Support to APOC, and Future challenges facing the Group. 2. NGDO GROUP ACTIVITIES 2.1 OngoingNGDO-supportedMectizan@distribution activities In 2003 the Group supported Mectizan@ treatment to 38.7 million people, as follows 31.4 million in APOC countries, 6.9 million in former OCP countries, and 0.4 million in OEPA countries. WHO/PBD Page 3 NGDO Supported Treatment with Mectizan@ within the APOC, OCP and OEPA Partnerships 1 989 1 991 1 993 1 995 1997 1 999 2001 2003 Years tr OEPA tr OCP w APOC @ Total At the point of producing this report, treatment was still ongoing in almost all projects for the year 2004. o cLcooO= rF tr,o-= :$h 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 WHO/PBD Page 4 Table 1: NGDO-Supported Mectizan@ Treatment within the APOC, former-OcP & OEPA Partnership - 2003 REGION GOUNTRY Ultimate Treatment Goal (urG) Annua! Treatment Objectives (Aro) Number of People Treated In 2003 ATO Coverage(%) UTG Coverage(%) APOC APOC APOC APOC APOC APOC APOC APOC APOC APOC APOC APOC APOC OCP OCP OCP ocP ocP OCP OCP OEPA NIGERIA DRC CAMEROON ETHIOPIA SUDAN UGANDA MALAWI TANZANIA CHAD CAR LIBERIA GABON CONGO SENEGAL MALI GUINEA GHANA- TOGO SIERRA LEONE BURKINA FASO OEPA 21,302,056 15,052,800 2,498,043 1,098,501 '1,614,900 1,250,467 I ,125,000 1,536,629 664,625 1,250,000 990,000 8,329 484,590 157,308 1,728,011 2,339,032 566,585 3,100,000 1,303,402 109,878 444,558 19,922,752 7,422,301 2,396,209 1,098,501 784,900 1,356,038 892,823 1,781,763 664,625 1,000,000 500,000 8,329 484,590 157,308 1,665,011 2,239,032 566,585 2,523,516 1,112,844 109,878 444,558 19,352,875 4,426,165 2,314,738 1,007,983 595,307 1 ,198,036 542,669 1,099,352 583,1 46 0 0 6,425 298,496 135,524 1,518,925 2,154,016 510,475 1,792,548 778,136 409,033 97 60 97 92 76 88 61 62 BB 0 0 77 62 86 91 96 90 71 70 0 92 91 29 93 92 37 96 4B 72 BB 0 0 77 62 86 88 92 90 58 60 0 92 TOTAL 58,624,714 47,131,563 38,723,849 82 66 x Figures for only Western Region Angola and Burundi are not included in this table since CDTI activities have not yet been officially launched in both countries. Angola is still waiting for the Mectizan@ delivery while APOC is planning to solve the managerial problem in Burundi. WHO/PBD Page 5 2.2 The twenty-third and twenty-fourth NGDO Coordination Group meetings The 23'd and 24th meetings of the NGDO Group took place in Nairobi ( 1 0- 1 I March) and Atlanta, USA (7-9 September 2004) respectively. The following is a summary of the key issues, conclusions and recommendations of these meetings Former OCP countries and SIZ The Group noted with satisfaction that NGDO support to former OCP programmes was being maintained. Participating partners were mainly involved with integrating the programmes with various add-on activities such as Vision 2020 (eye care), vitamin A supplementation and other community-directed health care interventions. Growing govemment support to the programmes in Mali and Guinea was highly appreciated. Collaboration amongst the Group members was also to be encouraged with a view to increasing effectiveness. The Group noted with satisfaction good progress in Sierra Leone where treatment figures had more than doubled in 2003. APOC Issues The Group was informed of support of some new CDTI projects by NGDOs, especially in Sudan, DRC, Ethiopia and Cameroon. However, there are still a number of projects without NGDO support. The Group noted the suspension of NGDO support to CDTI in Chad following the evaluation of the project and looked forward to the APOC mission during the last week of March in order to assess the situation. The Group regretted the loss of equipment and administrative documents in CAR following the conflict in 2003. Some treatment figures were, however, able to be collected from the field. The Group noted the importance ofNGDOs and APOC management to keep each other informed and to coordinate their actions following the intermption of activities due to conflict or other reasons. Soutltern Sudun: The Group thanked HealthNet Intemational (HNI) for the important role they had played in coordinating the CDTI activities with both indigenous and intemational NGOs in Southern Sudan. Following the withdrawal of HNI, CBM had agreed to be the lead NGDO in order to build capacity in five newly approved projects. Co-endemicity with Loa loa and Severe Adverse Events (SAEs): The Group was concerxed aboLrt the SAEs which had occurred in Cameroon and DRC with, respectively, two deaths in Cameroon, 14 deaths in Bas-Congo (DRC) and five deaths in Tshopo (DRC). The NGDO Coordinator took part in the joint APOC-MEC mission to Bas-Congo in July 2004 in order to assess the SAEs status in that part of the country. WHO/PBD Page 6 Sustainability issues: The Group noted that sustainability of CDTI projects is a major issue of concern for the future. There is a need for closer collaboration amongst all the partners in information sharing, advocacy, training and funding. Mobilization of resources: In view of the additional 40 million people who need ivermectin treatment, the Group decided to look for other sources of funding. Close liaison with the Vision 2020 fund-raising Group was essential and they should be requested to keep the funding needs of onchocerciasis control in mind in their approaches to potential donors. 2.3 Mectizan@ Expert Committee This meeting was held in Atlanta (USA) on 28-30 April2004. Several matters were discussed during that session such as severe adverse events, various subjects on Loa loo and the revision of MEC/TCC guidelines. 2.4 NGDO Group Onchocerciasis Programme Support Statement A consolidated preliminary report shows that NGDOs contributed a total of more than US $9.5 million towards onchocerciasis control in the year 2003 (see chart below): OEPA $1,692,795 ocP $2,283,945 APOC $5,587,093 WHOiPBD Page 7 3. SUPPORT TO APOC The NGDO Coordinator was a co-rapporteur to the 18th and 19tl' sessions of the TCC, details of which are provided elsewhere, in the appropriate reports. 4. FUTURE ACTIVITIES AND CHALLENGES OF THE GROUP There are still a further 40 million people at risk from onchocerciasis in Africa, mostly in conflict areas. The major challenge of the Group at present is to maintain this progress within the APOC partnership. The Group is struggling with resource mobilization in a very competitive environment for funds. It is easier to raise funds for killing diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis than for onchocerciasis. As some CDTI projects are now reaching their five-year APOC funding, their sustainability is becoming a serious concem to the Group. Close collaboration amongst partners is required in order to ensure the financial involvement of the governments towards CDTI activities. Extending CDTI projects in high-risk areas for loiasis requires more time and funds. This is another challenge in countries such as DRC, Sudan and Angola, where new projects are being launched. UTG % 100 90 BO 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 $$.$""$"..:"t."'$"';€)*$$..\SSr'X"$.':.$s'.