§ Mr. Haleasked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation whether he will place in the Library of the House of Commons copies of the recent reports into the causes and prevention of onchocerciasis and trypanosomiasis, including the Rodger Report into Blindness in West Africa.
§ Mr. VosperReports entitled "Blindness in West Africa" and "Simulium and Onchocerciasis in the Northern Territories of the Gold Coast" were published in 1959 and 1956 respectively for the Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind.
They are highly technical and of limited interest, but arrangements can always be made to obtain copies on loan.
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§ Mr. Haleasked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what was the cost to public funds in the twelve months to the most recent convenient date for computation of research into the cause and prevention of onchocerciasis and trypanosomiasis, respectively.
§ Mr. VosperExpenditure on trypanosomiasis research from Colonial Development and Welfare Funds in the financial year to the 31st March, 1961, amounted to £76,275. In addition, the Medical Research Council incurred expenditure of approximately £2,000. Expenditure on onchocerciasis research is more conveniently dealt with in the reply to Question No. 27.
§ Mr. Haleasked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation how many British entomologists, and at what public expense, are engaged in research into the breeding grounds, habits and possibilities of extermination of the simulium damnosum.
§ Mr. VosperThe main centre of onchocerciasis research overseas is the Helminthiasis Research Unit of the West Africa Council for Medical Research. The unit investigates all aspects of the disease including research into the breeding grounds, habits and possibilities of extermination of the vector,Simulium damnosum. Four British entomologists under a British director are employed at the unit. The unit formerly received substantial support from Colonial Development and Welfare Funds but it is now financed entirely by the independent Governments of Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone and the Government of the Gambia except for a contribution made from Colonial Development and Welfare Funds to the Gambia Government to the extent of one half of the Gambia share of the cost. The expenditure from Colonial Development and Welfare Funds is thus now very small and it cannot be separately indentified.
In Uganda research into the disease and its vector is part of the work of two British entomologists employed and paid for by the Uganda Government with no assistance from Colonial Development and Welfare Funds. In Kenya as a result of the work of British entomologists the disease has been eradicated.
122WIn Britain itself important research by British entomologists both at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and at the British Museum (Natural History) supported by public funds is being undertaken. The sum involved cannot be ascertained precisely since one of the research workers concerned devotes part of his time to investigation into other diseases. For the year to 31st March, 1961, expenditure is estimated to be of the order of £3,800 shared between Colonial Development and Welfare funds and the Medical Research Council.