Table 1 Summary of onchocerciasis control programmes in Africa: countries covered, objectives, strategies and achievements made at their closure

OCP (1974–2002)

Benin, Burkina-Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo (SIZ in Togo and Sierra Leone for the period 2002–2007)

To eliminate onchocerciasis as a disease of public health importance and an obstacle to socio-economic development, and to ensure participating countries can maintain achievement

(1) Vector control,

(2) Both vector control and CDTI,

(3) CDTI only (in specific countries or areas)

Eliminated public health impact of onchocerciasis,

Reclaimed 25 million km² abandoned land for agriculture,

Prevented 600 000 cases of blindness,

Freed 18 million children from risk of blindness

Infection disappeared from an estimated 1 million individuals

Enhanced human resource capacity building via training of more than 400 professional staff

Reduced disease associated social stigma

20% economic rate of return

[29,30,31, 50, 51, 64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71]

APOC (1995–2015)

Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR)

, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Sudan

To eliminate onchocerciasis as a disease of public health importance in the remaining endemic countries in Africa

The establishment of sustainable CDTI and vector control with environmentally-safe methods where appropriate.

Eliminated onchocerciasis as a disease of public health importance

Saved 19 million disability-adjusted life years during its 20-year existence

20% decline in the disability-adjusted life year burden of onchocerciasis between 2005 and 2015 at a cost of only USD 27 per disability-adjusted life year

Evidences of elimination of onchocerciasis in some localized foci

[2, 3, 15, 28, 33,34,35,36,37,38,39, 56, 57, 59,60,61,62, 69, 72]