HISTONCHO: A dataset of intervention histories for onchocerciasis control & elimination in sub-Saharan Africa

TL;DR

HISTONCHO is a dataset compiling onchocerciasis control interventions in sub-Saharan Africa from 1975 to 2022 to support modeling and future efforts.

Contribution

The paper introduces HISTONCHO, a comprehensive dataset of onchocerciasis intervention histories for sub-Saharan Africa.

Findings

HISTONCHO includes data on mass drug administration and vector control from 1975 to 2022.

The dataset is derived from ESPEN, regional reports, and published literature.

The dataset can support modeling and improve onchocerciasis control strategies.

Abstract

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), onchocerciasis control has been implemented for many decades, beginning in 1974 under the Onchocerciasis Control Programme in West Africa (OCP) and in 1995 in Central and East Africa (plus Liberia) under the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC). Since the establishment of the Expanded Special Project for Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN) in 2016, data on mass drug administration (MDA) with ivermectin has been centrally compiled for all endemic countries at implementation unit (IU) level, beginning in 2013. This paper presents HISTONCHO, a dataset collating detailed information on interventions, including vector control, from 1975 through to 2022, using the ESPEN portal (2013–2022), regional and country reports, implementation partners’ records, and published literature. Reconstructing such intervention histories is crucial for an understanding of their evolution, modelling their impact, and tailoring future interventions. We discuss strengths and limitations associated with the ESPEN database, and how HISTONCHO can be improved to support modelling of intervention strategies as well as onchocerciasis control and elimination efforts by endemic country programmes.

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