Celebrating 35 Years of the Mectizan Donation Program(MDP): A Q&A with River Blindness Experts
ATLANTA – Thirty-five years ago, Merck & Co. Inc. was looking for a partner organization to help deliver its medicine to communities affected by river blindness. Merck selected The Task Force for Global Health (then called The Task Force for Child Survival) to establish the Mectizan Donation Program. As of December 2021, more than 4.8 billion treatments have been donated to endemic countries, reaching 400 million people annually.
Coronavirus Response Activities
Coronavirus Response Activities
Learn about how we’re responding to the pandemic and our history in pandemic preparedness on our COVID-19 page.

Recent News

The Past, Present and Future of Informatics: Q&A with Public Health Informatics Experts
Photo credit: Public Health Informatics Institute By Lisa Jones, PHII Communications Manager and Piper Hale, PHII Assistant Director of Communications On October 6, the Public

Connecting the Dots: WHO and The Task Force’s FACE Program Commemorate Three Years of Global Health Compassion Rounds
By Andi Kezh, Communications Intern Every three months, professionals from across the world come together virtually to discuss an often forgotten facet of the global

Celebrating 35 Years of the Mectizan Donation Program (MDP): Q&A with River Blindness Experts
Thirty-five years ago, Merck & Co. Inc. was looking for a partner organization to help deliver its medicine to communities affected by river blindness. Merck
Recent News

PRESS RELEASE: CEPI expands partnership with Brighton Collaboration to support safety assessment of vaccine candidates
20 December 2022; OSLO, Norway: The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the Brighton Collaboration, based at The Task

PRESS RELEASE: Task Force for Global Health welcomes new Board Chair Kent Alexander
Kent Alexander, Chair of the Task Force for Global Health Board of Directors ATLANTA (December 15, 2022) – The Task

The Past, Present and Future of Informatics: Q&A with Public Health Informatics Experts
Photo credit: Public Health Informatics Institute By Lisa Jones, PHII Communications Manager and Piper Hale, PHII Assistant Director of Communications
The Task Force family is made up of mission-driven professionals who are dedicated to health equity. If you think you would be a good fit, check out our opportunities.
The Task Force family is made up of mission-driven professionals who are dedicated to health equity. If you think you would be a good fit, check out our opportunities.
BAFANG, CAMEROON
is a 72-year-old river blindness patient in Cameroon’s Bafang district who has benefitted from The Task Force’s Mectizan® Donation Program (MDP) since 2004. She says the treatment has helped save her eyesight and she’s now able to look after her grandchildren. An estimated 205 million people, mostly in Africa, are at risk for river blindness. The disease is categorized as a neglected tropical disease (NTD) because the people it affects are among the most marginalized in society.
Ngo Yeba Anastasie, Participant,
is a 72-year-old river blindness patient in Cameroon’s Bafang district who has benefitted from The Task Force’s Mectizan® Donation Program (MDP) since 2004. She says the treatment has helped save her eyesight and she’s now able to look after her grandchildren. An estimated 205 million people, mostly in Africa, are at risk for river blindness.