Brazzaville, 7 December 2007 -- The World Bank and the US-based pharmaceutical company Merck & Co Inc., on Wednesday announced a commitment to contribute US $50 million in support of the World Health Organization’s African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC.)

Merck will provide US$25 million over the period 2008-2015,  while the World Bank will work with other donors to secure the additional US$25 million.  This unique contribution coincides with the 20th anniversary (1987-2007) of the unprecedented partnership between Merck  and the WHO.  In 1987,  Merck committed to donate ivermectin (Mectizan®) free of charge – as much as necessary, for as long as necessary – for the treatment of river blindness wherever it occurs.

“This milestone US$50million commitment  by the World Bank and Merck will ensure the sustainability of the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control through the year 2015,” said WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo. “It offers tangible encouragement and practical support to all countries in the Africa Region fighting to eliminate river blindness as a public health and socio-economic problem.”

He added: “  We thank and congratulate Merck  and the World Bank as we celebrate this occasion and  look forward to the day river blindness will be eliminated from Africa.”

The additional financial support from The World Bank and Merck will improve access to ivermectin by populations in need in 30 countries. APOC will continue to work with Merck, the World Bank and other key partners to ensure that more than 117,000 communities are empowered to plan and manage their own treatment programmes, within national health systems.

Since 1987, WHO has worked with the Ministries of Health of countries and non governmental development organizations  to ensure sustainable distribution of MECTIZAN within the Africa region. The distribution was first done through the Onchocerciasis Control Program which wound down in 2002, and is now continuing through APOC.  With a broad range of local, national, and international partners, the global fight against river blindness continues  to ensure that medicines reach the poor.

APOC, established in December 1995, is based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Its ultimate  aim is to eliminate onchocerciasis as a public health problem in the entire continent where 99% of the world’s cases are found.  Nineteen African countries are still oncho-endemic and   an estimated 70 million people are at risk.

For more information contact:

Sam Ajibola, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo;

Tel.: + 47 241 39378;

E-mail ajibolas [at] afro.who.int