Organization: World Health Organization – African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (WHO-APOC)

Project Location: Burkina Faso

Web address: http://www.apoc.bf/en/

Title of Grant:  “A Planning Grant to Evaluate the Usefulness and Dissemination Feasibility of the Fish and Invertebrate Database of the Onchocerciasis Control Programme in West Africa”

Grant Amount: $ 25,000 over 6 months

Principal Investigator: Vincent H. Resh

Organization Background: 

The World Health Organization (WHO) is an agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established in April 1948, and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, it is recognized as an international organization by the US government via Executive Order under Chapter 22 of the US Code Subchapter 288.
River blindness is the common name for Onchocerciasis, a devastating disease found predominantly in Africa but also occurring in Central America and small pockets of the Middle East.  In 1974, international community efforts to join forces in a concerted effort to tackle Onchocerciasis resulted in the establishment of the Onchocerciasis Control Programme (OCP) in West Africa.

The African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) was formed in December 1995 with the sole aim of eliminating Onchocerciasis from African countries where the disease remained endemic. Building on the success of the OCP, APOC extended into 19 nations which were not previously covered. Unfortunately, in these countries, environmental conditions are such that widespread aerial spraying of breeding sites of the vector flies is not a viable option. Instead, control is accomplished through the targeted distribution of Ivermectin tablets to all affected communities.

Grant Description:

The objectives of this grant are: (1) to convene a workshop of scientists who have worked with Onchocerciasis data from African countries, and others with the type of skills that would likely use such data in the future, to evaluate the value and applicability of the date to future research studies of biodiversity; (2) to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the data and conclude which components are able to be improved, how they can be improved, and which components should be made available and recommended for dissemination; (3) to resolve the issue of data ownership; (4) to choose formats that will capture the data in the most useful ways for future researchers; and (5) to prepare a full proposal for future funding.

The Problem:

Although the ecological group of the OCP recommended dissemination of the OCP fish and invertebrate data there was some apprehension among the members of the group about whether specific documentation existed in terms of external factors such as whether insecticide applications were underway, sampling designs were accurately described and followed, and characteristics of the physical and chemical environment at the sites described. However, the feeling was that it was better to make the data available, adding a rejoinder about shortcomings that should be considered in its use by future researchers. This planning project will determine which data are appropriate and which may not be, which can be improved, and set the basis for preparation of a full proposal if the planning group deems it appropriate.

The Solution:

A workshop will be held in a central location and will be attended by researchers who have had a longtime research in the OCP program, including:

• an early researcher in the OCP program whose experimental research largely established that insecticidal activities had no long-term impacts on the aquatic fauna,
• a researcher who would be using this database in the future,
• a specialist in the construction and management of biological databases,
• a leader of the hydrobiological group who collected monitoring data, and
• an African fish biologist.

Prior to the meeting another researcher will assemble examples of the monitoring information and ancillary environmental representing different periods of the OCP data collection. These are in paper copy and will be the basis of discussion and evaluation. All of the participating freshwater researchers are already familiar with the material

In evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the fish and invertebrate monitoring data collected by OCP, evaluation will include determination of how potential physical, biological, and sampling and analysis influences could affect the quality of the data. For example, is there a detailed description of sampling, sorting, and analysis methods available, is information available on the regime of insecticide applications used in the area, is the taxonomy appropriate for use by others (remembering that most specimens have been lost), and is the data able to be made appropriate for use by others?

Global Impact:

The next step will be the preparation of a full proposal with recommendations about which data are appropriate, which can be made appropriate, and how best to make these data available. All of the members of the working group have agreed to the principles outlined in this approach.

The final issue that will be dealt with in this planning grant is the ownership of the data. The data were collected by both national teams and OCP in the individual countries releasing the data for broad use, and that the issue around this question has been raised by World Health Organization attorneys, not the individual countries. This will be one of the first matters to be resolved by the planning grant working group.