The Carter center's assistance to river blindness control programs: Establishing treatment objectives and goals for monitoring ivermectin delivery systems on two continents

Periodic mass treatment with ivermectin in endemic communities prevents eye and dermal disease due to onchocerciasis. As part of an international glob al partnership to control onchocerciasis, The Carter Center's Global 2000 R iver Blindness Program (GRBP) assists the ministries of health in ten count ries to distribute ivermectin (Mectizan((R)), donated by Merck & Co.). The GRBP priorities are to maximize ivermectin treatment coverage and related h ealth education and training efforts, and to monitor progress through regul ar reporting of ivermectin treatments measured against annual treatment obj ectives and ultimate treatment goals (e.g., full coverage, which is defined as reaching all persons residing in at risk villages who are eligible for treatment). Since the GRBP began in 1996, more than 21.2 million ivermectin treatment encounters have been reported by assisted programs. In 1999, mor e than 6.6 million eligible persons at risk for onchocerciasis received tre atment, which represented 96% of the 1999 annual treatment objective of 6.9 million, and 78% of the ultimate treatment goal in assisted areas.