Résumé
Onchocerciasis, or river blindness, is an endemic disease which causes great hardship in west Africa. Within the World Health Organization's Onchocerciasis Control Program (WHO/OCP), reliable data on the discharge of the watercourses have been obtained by using remote satellite transmission. These data are necessary to calculate how much insecticide should be introduced into the rivers. A description of the equipment and its use is followed by an intial report covering the functioning of the equipment, its efficiency and the economies attained. The improvement in the resulting treatment and the reduction in the running costs of the programme are discussed. Software for forecasting the discharge over different time intervals was developed by ORSTOM at the request of the OCP. The different functions of this software (PERLES) are described. In conclusion, the advantages of remote transmission techniques for operational hydrology in general are discussed (flood warning systems, hydrological networks, etc.).