The WHO Institutional Repository for Information Sharing–African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control Collection: an electronic resource of the Onchocerciasis Control Programme and African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control experience and data to inform onchocerciasis elimination strategies

Abstract

BACKGROUND: As countries progress from control of onchocerciasis as a public health problem to elimination of parasite transmission, more evidence on vector-related activities and transmission assessments is needed to inform WHO guidelines and country strategies to achieve the targets of the 2030 Neglected Tropical Disease Roadmap. For vector-borne diseases, entomology plays a critical role in the elimination and verification of transmission based on vector infectivity. The vector control-based Onchocerciasis Control Programme (OCP) in West Africa, 1974-2002, had accumulated relevant experience and data. The African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC; 1995-2015) extended onchocerciasis control, based primarily on mass ivermectin administration, to all African endemic countries and supported many implementation research projects. OCP and APOC documents, previously available only in hard copy from OCP or APOC, are now accessible in the WHO Institutional Repository for Information Sharing (WHO IRIS). Most documents cover numerous topics and include large amounts of unpublished data. Here, we provide an overview of the OCP and APOC documents in IRIS. METHODS: We reviewed and summarised the documents in WHO IRIS as a resource to guide current elimination efforts. We also provided examples for potential uses of the information for mapping, diagnostics, entomology and social science research to the preparation of elimination dossiers. RESULTS: The APOC Collection included 8150 documents. Of these, 3895 were in English and 4194 in French. Topics covered in the documents include community-directed treatment with ivermectin, cytotaxonomy, diagnosis, drug effectiveness, environmental modification, epidemiology, health economics, impact assessment, insecticide resistance, larviciding, mapping, programme implementation, slash and burn, transmission assessment and vector control. CONCLUSION: The APOC Collection in WHO IRIS makes the wealth of OCP and APOC experience and data available to the onchocerciasis control/elimination and research community.