Inbrief

Pharmaceuticals company Merck aims to raise $50million (£25.5m) with the World Bank to fight river blindness, a leading cause of preventable sight loss in 28 African countries. Merck has already pledged up to $25m of the funding needed during the next eight years, and will work with the World Bank to raise the rest from others. The new funding will supplement $20m already raised by the World Bank.