Commemorating 20 Years of Commitment: 1987 - 2007
One of the most significant initiatives undertaken by Merck to help improve access to medicines in developing countries is the Merck MECTIZAN Donation Program. Established 20 years ago, the MECTIZAN Donation Program is the single largest, longest standing public/private partnership of its kind and is widely regarded as one of the most successful public-private health collaborations in the world.
In 1987, Merck announced that it would donate MECTIZAN® (ivermectin), our breakthrough medicine for the treatment of onchocerciasis, to all who needed it, for as long as needed. More commonly known as "river blindness," onchocerciasis is transmitted through the bite of black flies and can cause intense itching, disfiguring dermatitis, eye lesions and, over time, blindness. The disease is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness worldwide.
MECTIZAN relieves the agonizing itching that accompanies the disease, and halts progression towards blindness - two characteristics of the diseases that dramatically affect the quality and duration of life. With only one annual dose, MECTIZAN is well suited for distribution in remote areas by community health workers. It is the only well-tolerated drug known to halt the development of river blindness.
To ensure the appropriate infrastructure, distribution and support for the donation initiative, Merck established a unique, multisectoral partnership, involving the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank and UNICEF, as well as ministries of health, non-governmental development organizations and local communities. In 1988, Merck established the MECTIZAN Donation Program Secretariat, housed at the Taskforce for Child Survival and Development, to provide medical, technical and administrative oversight of the donation of MECTIZAN. Since the program's inception, Merck has donated more than 1.8 billion tablets of MECTIZAN through the partnership, with more than 530 million treatments approved since 1987. The program currently reaches more than 69 million people through river blindness programs in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East (Yemen) each year.
Today, the delivery system for MECTIZAN also serves as an avenue through which other health and social services have been introduced, such as vitamin A distribution, cataract identification, immunization campaigns, training programs for community health workers and census-taking.
In 1998, we expanded the Merck MECTIZAN Donation Program to the prevention of lymphatic filariasis (LF), commonly referred to as elephantiasis, in African countries where the disease co-exists with river blindness. An estimated 300 million Africans are at risk, and another 40 million are infected by this disease. Currently, more than 50 million treatments of MECTIZAN are approved each year for lymphatic filariasis through Merck's work with the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis.
Merck has made a long-term commitment to donate as much of this medicine as necessary to treat river blindness and to prevent lymphatic filariasis in affected geographic areas. The goal is to eliminate both diseases as public health problems.
"I think Merck has set a standard of the highest possible quality. [The MECTIZAN Donation Program has] been one of the most remarkable and exciting and inspiring partnerships that I have ever witnessed."
— Jimmy Carter
39th President of the United States
Co-founder, The Carter Center
2002 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Economic Development Benefits
The impact of the MECTIZAN Donation Program extends beyond the immediate health benefits. Estimates show that investments in river blindness control programs (e.g., MECTIZAN treatment and aerial spraying to control black fly populations) are helping people live not only healthier, but also more productive lives.
A Lasting Legacy
In April 2004, researchers at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health published an impact study on the Merck MECTIZAN Donation Program. They found that the MDP has become "a model for innovation that can address other health challenges … and leaves a legacy of how a public-private partnership can work." To view the complete report, click here.
To view other examples of how Merck is working across sectors to improve health in the developing world, click on the links below:
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