The Mectizan Donation Program would like to congratulate Mr. Joseph Rakuba Gabu of Bahr al Ghazal, Sudan, on his 2003 Mectizan Award at the district level. The award will be presented to Mr. Gabu in Sudan by a representative on behalf of Merck & Co., Inc. and the Mectizan Donation Program.
Mr. Gabu has served as the focal point for onchocerciasis control in Bahr al Ghazal, Sudan, since 1977 and, in spite of the civil conflict afflicting the region since 1955, has remained committed to delivering Mectizan to those in need. He was appointed zonal coordinator in 1997 in an area with extremely high prevalence of onchocerciasis. Mr. Gabu is well known for obtaining high coverage for his area—even in high-risk areas near the borders between Operation Lifeline Sudan and the Government of Sudan. He maintains the onchocerciasis clinic in the local hospital and supervises Community-Directed Treatment with Ivermectin (CDTI) in the region along with other responsibilities including health education, community mobilization and training of Community Directed Distributors. Mr. Gabu is well known and highly respected in Bahr al Ghazal and in the rest of onchocerciasis-endemic southern Sudan for his long-standing commitment and dedication to onchocerciasis control. ❖