The 131 million inhabitants of the 11 West African countries approach the third millenium with a fabulous inheritance; 25 million hectares of land freed from a deadly plague : onchoceriasis or river blindness. This unprecedented succes is due to a method of scientific effort developed by french research scientists at orstom who were able both to convince and mobilise the international community to organise a war machine against this disease and the misery it causes. During 25 years, 50,000 kilometers of rivers have been treated with insecticides in order to interrupt the proliferation of the minuscule infected flies - the vectors of this parasitic disease. This international program, (OCP), wich was organised in 1974 under the auspices of the FAO, Pnud, World bank, and WHO, will have acheived its mandate by the 31 st of December 2002. In the 11 West African countries freed from this plague, the liberated valleys are being repopulated and farming and industrial activities redeveloped. This economic resurgence is accompanied by a better surveillance of the disease and its transmission to humans. Even though this battle is a the point of being won due to the donation of medication to the involved countries "for as long as the need exists"; the risk of recurrence is always present. Thousands of health workers have been trained by this program and the necessary infrastructure established. The surveillance of this disease and its vector should be assumed individually by each of the 11 countries by the 1st of January 2003.