| 1975 |
Dr. William Campbell of Merck Research Laboratories suggests the use of Mectizan (ivermectin) against onchocerciasis (river blindness) in humans. |
| 1987 |
Merck CEO Roy Vagelos announces the company's commitment to donate Mectizan to treat river blindness for as long as needed; the Mectizan Donation Program (MDP) and the Mectizan Expert Committee are formed and a secretariat is established at the Task Force for Global Health to provide medical, technical and administrative oversight of Mectizan donation. |
| 1991 |
Merck, the MDP, the World Health Organization (WHO), and NGO partners establish the Non-Governmental Development Organization (NGDO) Coordination Group for Onchocerciasis Control. NGDOs played a critical role in getting Mectizan distributed through their work with ministries of health, their expertise in program management, and the provision of funding for program implementation. |
| 1993 |
The Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas (OEPA), formed by the River Blindness Foundation and currently sponsored by the Carter Center, brings together the ministries of health of 6 countries in the Americas affected by onchocerciasis. |
| 1995 |
The WHO and World Bank partner to create the African Program for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC), providing financial support and coordination of disease control efforts in 19 African countries. |
| 1998 |
Merck expands the MDP to include Mectizan for the elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) in African countries and Yemen where the disease overlaps with onchocerciasis. This begins a partnership between Merck and GSK through their donation of albendazole for LF elimination, which would be distributed with Mectizan. |
| 2002 |
Merck and MDP celebrate the 250 millionth treatment of Mectizan in Bombani, Tanzania. |
| 2007 |
Colombia stops treatment with Mectizan and becomes the first country to begin the 3-year post-treatment surveillance phase. |
| 2008 |
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) passes a resolution calling for the interruption of transmission of river blindness in the Americas by the year 2012. |
| 2008 |
The WHO confirms the potential for river blindness elimination in some parts of Africa. |
| 2009 |
Togo conducts the last round of mass treatment for lymphatic filariasis |
| 2010 |
Ecuador is the 2nd country to stop treatment with Mectizan and begin the post-treatment surveillance phase. |
| 2011 |
Colombia becomes the first country to apply for WHO certification for the elimination of onchocerciasis transmission, after suspending treatment with Mectizan in 2007. |
| 2011 |
More than 1 billion treatments have been approved cumulatively by the Mectizan Donation Program for the treatment of onchocerciasis. |
| 2011 |
As of the end of 2011, 140 million treatments annually were being approved for onchocerciasis and 130 million for lymphatic filariasis. |
| 2011 |
Yemen conducts the last round of mass treatment for lymphatic filariasis |
| 2012 |
The Mectizan Donation Program celebrates 25 years of partnerships and progress toward the elimination of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis. |
