The health zone is the organizational unit for implementing primary health care in Zaire. A health zone is a well defined geographical area comprising a referral hospital, satellite health centers and community action groups. Since the concept of health zones was first proposed in 1975, it has led to a complete reshaping of the medical system in Zaire. By 1987 of the 306 health zones planned at least 150 could be considered operational. The health zone decentralizes the planning and management of primary health care and the control of endemic disease to the local level where the involvement of community action groups and health centers are the building blocks of a health zone.
Community participation is essential to the success of primary health care.
However, community participation is not simply the mobilization of material and human resources. True community participation improves community capacity to discuss, plan, and organize actions to resolve health problems. B. Scope of the Project Onchocerciasis is endemic to more than 60 of the 306 health zones of Zaire. The estimated population of these health zones is more than six million. At this time distribution of Invermectin has been limited to a handful of health zones and only then to clinic based treatment of infected persons.