National Onchocerciasis Committees, fifteenth meeting, Ouagadougou, 28-30 May 1991: Sierra Leone

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTE ONCHOCERCIASIS CONTROL PROGRAMME IN WEST AFRICA PROGRAMME DE LUTTE CONTRE L'ONCHOCERCOSE EN AFRIQUE DE L'OUEST NATIONAL ONCHOCERCIASIS COMMITTEES Fifteenth meeting Ouasadousou- 28-30 Mav 1991 NOC15.10 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH SIERRA LEONE ONCEO @NIROL PBOGR UME IUICENI SIMRA I,D}TE 10cL5.10 .trbonr A.R. lftrrie (Dr.), Natlona,L ONCEO. Co..or.dlrator.Tor Dr. E,ld. Sambal Programe Direotor, Ouirgpdiu€pur flbe Progranne Director vlsited, si.erra Leone iu.,.!!ardh, lggg a^nd reoomended. rvernectin for the treatment oflonoh6oqrL- cia,sj.s. Slnce tha,t tind trtGEeTfn"-r.ds: eoEept-6ilair1;h-fIrlinistry of Eea,ltJr as tJre stardard, treatmeni for onoho, lnplace of Sanociae (m)' Apart tuon tnitial e6eptil.ord . ,about the sa.fetJr gf.the dnrg on flre part of some physlot-'cani-, -rirain\y in'tb.e Ilestern lrea (raree oaoho is,'ii*y case not a naJor gob!.o) I uost beart& iustituti.ons La therest of, tJre ooratrtrr mr tlispsr+e the drug. rveuofi.u Le nor availa,bre l.n arr Govsruneat Eospltal€ ard uary pctphe-hdalt& unitg in th,e oorntrSr. SffiIirly, E fi" a unbee of noa c'ovement irstttufi.ons are passivliy atetagltrrtrog t"ta,blets. uass distrihrtiou of rveruectia ie beirg.oarried. out !rNational Seans urd.e tbe strperriEion of 0Gp. Ore tlmt nass treafuent of Eala anit cbqnbayB rive t&rns Ln xagr, .1!lO reanlted. irx tJre lireatneut oflabout Str98g natfeat-si -alrr]-the second. in .ranrary t 199tr -.t+,sult€e-*i*t&^e+e-rBeaL- *nent of 131564 patients. [he tJulrd mass canpaign tg u:rd.er lfEx. _conmu:ri.ty participation i.n tJrese canpaigns hae been execellent. si,erxa l,'eone rnas identifled. as tJre pilot ootrrrtqr for ocp and. li@ corlaboration in the dlEtribution of rvirrnectia. such is tJre success of thlg colraboratlon, that one N@,between December, 19BB to l{arch, 1p!1 treated. 134rO@patients, &ispensingl about l5orooo tabLets of ivemectlnin the prticess. rhe NGo in question ie tJre Irrnsar $etrospitar, wbich hao d.eproyed. trno vehiores so]-e\r for rven- rnectin dlstrihrtion. rwo other N@ar [he I,ieclital BesearohCour:cil in Bo a.nd-D!. Gbakima, of Nja1a. Univensi.ty also carried. out mass Ivermectin distrihrti.on rveruetia distrihrtion has becone a regular topl.oar itoin the deliberations of the Natioral co'r-r ttee oa tJre lre-vention of blindaess. llhe reonmod^atioa that nalpatioaof onoho no&rree shourd. repJaoe the skin entp as a EcaDag.f {rgn?si.ng onohooenoiasis nas lnsltively reoeived bype_!-omitteel and hae according\y adrlse& tJre !,fLntstni ofEealtJr to adopt the reoornnenda,tion. a sub..ooqn{ ttee tira9i.]rtate, bette'r oo--ordinatioa betreen l{0o and. flre lratlo- nar onoho l[ean ln tJre &istrihrtion of rveruecfi.u has beeuset up, W tJre sa.id. Cor*1'{ ttee. A.R. ltuxie (pr.), ltt ^National Co-ordinator. lt -t