travel news review


15 February '99
After 25 years working on a programme for the eradication of onchocerciasis, or river blindness, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has much to celebrate with the announcement this week that the disease has been eradicated in West Africa.

The disease, transmitted by the black fly, which leaves parasites in the body, can eventually cause blindness and was a serious health concern in many West African countries. As the black fly was most commonly found along riverbanks, many fled these most fertile parts of the country causing major economic problems. The disease is still found in parts of sub-Saharan Africa and Yemen.

8 July '98
Air Afrique, the West African multinational airline, has been forced to sell four of its fleet of 15 planes to pay off the airline's debts which are currently around US$3 million. The airline is jointly owned by Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mauritania, Chad, Niger, Benin, Togo, Burkina Faso, Congo, Mali and the Central African Republic. As most of these countries cannot afford a national airline, Air Afrique was established to provide them with a regular air service. Air Afrique will cease all flights to the US, France and South Africa but flights between West African countries will not be suspended.