Evaluation on implementation of the African programme for onchocerciasis control in Nigeria

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the progress and challenges of the implementation of the global programme in Taraba State, Nigeria. METHODS: The African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) as the first neglected tropical diseases (NTD) control initiative in Africa had been introduced to Nigeria since 1997. Community-directed distributors of community-directed treatment with ivermectin had been adopted as its main strategy. As a qualitative study, in-depth interview and focus group discussion were used as data collection methods. The thematic framework method was used as a data analysis method. RESULTS: The community reported that they had benefited from the programme. The study findings showed that the health education on NTDs remained very poor, and the community had not fully realized its responsibility for the drug distribution and NTDs control, and the community drug distributor (CDDs) had not been developed as a substantial team working for other projects. CONCLUSION: The goals of community-directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI) only have been achieved partly. China should learn from the experience.