IMA staff attend international meeting about Onchocerciasis

IMA World Health attended the Joint Action Forum in Kuwait City on December 12-14 to discuss ways to control onchocerciasis in Africa.

IMA World Health/Staff

IMA World Health staff recently attended the annual Joint Action Forum (JAF) in Kuwait City. The JAF is an annual meeting with a focus on the African Program for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC).

IMA’s delegation consisted of VP of Programs, Dr. Sarla Chand and Senior Program Officer, Ann Varghese.

VP of Programs, Dr. Sarla Chand (left) and Senior Program Officer, Ann Varghese greet attendees at the IMA World Health booth.

This year’s meeting was hosted by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development and was attended by donors, NGOs, health representatives, and representatives from African countries who have onchocerciasis programs.

Onchocerciasis, also known as River Blindness, is a neglected tropical disease caused by a parasitic worm that is spread by the bite of an infected blackfly. Skin rash, eye lesions and/or bumps under the skin may occur as symptoms, and the disease is commonly called River Blindness because eye lesions can lead to permanent loss of sight if left untreated.

IMA has supported onchocerciasis programing in three areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo where interventions include training, transportation, and procurement of registers for increased efficiency in drug distribution.

In Tanzania, IMA collaborates with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW) to eliminate and control 5 common neglected tropical diseases – including onchocerciasis. IMA’s role includes financial management, supporting the MOHSW in monitoring and evaluation, supervision, and technical support.