One of the most significant initiatives undertaken by Merck to help improve access to medicines in developing countries is the Merck MECTIZAN Donation Program. Established 20 years ago, the MECTIZAN Donation Program is the single largest, longest standing public/private partnership of its kind and is widely regarded as one of the most successful public-private health collaborations in the world.

In 1987, Merck announced that it would donate MECTIZAN® (ivermectin), our breakthrough medicine for the treatment of onchocerciasis, to all who needed it, for as long as needed. More commonly known as "river blindness," onchocerciasis is transmitted through the bite of black flies and can cause intense itching, disfiguring dermatitis, eye lesions and, over time, blindness. The disease is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness worldwide.

The content on this page was last modified on October 24, 2008.