Retrospective Review of Onchocerciasis Control and Elimination Program Contributions to the Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals Öffentlichkeit

Dunn, Caitlin Elizabeth (2014)

Permanent URL: https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/dv13zt93f?locale=de
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Abstract

In 2000, 189 member states of the United Nations (UN) developed a plan for peace and development, which resulted in eight actionable goals known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Since their inception, the MDGs have been considered the international standard for measuring development progress and have provided a blueprint for global health policy and programming. However, emphasis upon the achievement of priority benchmarks around the 'big three' diseases - namely HIV, TB and malaria - has influenced global health entities to disproportionately allocate resources. Meanwhile, several tropical diseases that almost exclusively impact the poorest of the poor continue to be neglected, despite the existence of cost-effective and feasible methods of control and elimination.

One of these Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), onchocerciasis, commonly known as river blindness, is a debilitating and stigmatizing disease primarily affecting individuals living in remote and impoverished areas. Programs to control onchocerciasis are considered to be some of the most successful and cost-effective public health campaigns ever launched. In addition to improving the health and well-being of millions of individuals, these programs also lead to improvements in education, agricultural production, and economic development in affected communities. This paper reviews the contributions that such concentrated efforts to control and eliminate onchocerciasis make to achieving select MDGs. The author hopes to draw the attention of public policymakers and global health funders to the role onchocerciasis and other NTDs play in hindering development and advocate for their inclusion in the post 2015 agenda.

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ..........................................................2
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT .....................................................2
RATIONALE FOR ARTICLE AND TARGETING JOURNAL ..........................3

BACKGROUND ............................................................................3
Millennium Development Goals ......................................................3
Neglected Tropical Diseases ..........................................................7
Onchocerciasis ............................................................................9
History of Control & Elimination Programs.......................................16
Program Partners .......................................................................20

CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................21
RESEARCH QUESTIONS ................................................................35
METHODOLOGY ...........................................................................36
Selection of MDG Indicators ..........................................................38
Geographic Focus ........................................................................39
Limitations .................................................................................39

CHAPTER III: MANUSCRIPT ............................................................42
INTRODUCTION............................................................................43
METHODS ...................................................................................44
RESULTS ....................................................................................45
DISCUSSION ...............................................................................51

CHAPTER IV: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .......................55
DISCUSSION ...............................................................................55
FUTURE RESEARCH .......................................................................60
PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS .......................................................61
REFERENCES ...............................................................................63
APPENDICES ...............................................................................68

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