Fighting Blindness: The Road to Trachoma Elimination in Somali Region, Ethiopia
Trachoma is the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness, triggered by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. It thrives in areas with limited access to clean water and sanitation. To combat this, Ethiopia utilizes the WHO-endorsed SAFE strategy:
• Surgery for trichiasis.
• Antibiotics to clear infection.
• Facial cleanliness.
• Environmental improvement.
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🔗 Read the Baseline Study: Epidemiology of trachoma and its implications for implementing the SAFE strategy (2018)
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🔗 Read the Impact Results: Prevalence of trachoma in Somali region: results from impact surveys (2023)
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💧 WASH and Sustainability
While medical interventions have been successful, the environmental (E) and facial cleanliness (F) components remain a challenge for long-term sustainability.
• Water Access: Only 18% of households have access to an improved drinking water source within a 30-minute trip.
• Sanitation: Only 25% of households have access to an improved latrine.
• The Goal: To prevent the disease from returning, there is an urgent need for greater investment in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) infrastructure across the entire region.