15 years of APOC - World Health Organization

15 years of APOC
Travelling for APOC Adventure in Taraba State, Nigeria
The broken bridge near the village of Gangumi
His Royal Highness of Gangumi, the village leader receiving
the evaluation team at his palace. His Royal Highness is blind
from onchocerciasis. He expressed his satisfaction and joy
and gratitude for what the onchocerciasis control program
was doing in his village because he said he wanted his
children and great grandchildren to always be free of the
disease
Crossing Taraba River by boat
36
Walking towards the village carrying the evaluation team equipment
The next day brought another challenge. We
needed to get to Gangumi village on the bank of
the river Taraba, to continue with our epi
evaluation. We had already sent a local messenger
on a motor bike to the community the day before
to ask for an appointment for us to meet with the
entire community. The messenger went by motor
cycle and returned late at night and told us we had
an appointment at 8:00 the latest. We planned to
set out early in the morning at 6:00 am as we had
been told that the roads were bad. “Bad” turned
out to be an understatement. It took us more than
four hours to get to the bridge that was five
kilometres from the village. And when we got there
the bridge was broken and we could not pass!
Frustrated with the situation we had to get back
to the town late in the afternoon without doing
anything. With the patience of true professionals
on a mission we sent the same messenger to the
community to explain what had happened and to
request another appointment, convenient for
them..
Forewarned is forearmed so the next visit we
decided on another route and crossed over to the
village by boat. We had to leave our cars with the
drivers on the river bank and carry all the tables,
chairs, microscopes, forms, medicines to the
village.
Dr Hailemariam Tekle Afework is Epidemiologist
at APOC
African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control