We currently operate in Afar, Benishangul-Gumuz, Gambella, and Somali regions, reaching 120 Woredas and some of the country’s most remote communities.
What We Do
- Strengthen leadership and health systems at regional and Woreda levels to support trachoma elimination
- Train health workers and nurses to deliver SAFE interventions, including trachoma surgery
- Establish Primary Eye Care Units (PECUs) to improve access to essential eye care
- Clear the backlog of Trachomatous Trichiasis (TT)—supporting surgery for more than 25,000 cases
- Deliver Mass Drug Administration (MDA) in Afar and Somali regions to prevent infection
Over the past four years, we have:
- Provided 130,949 treatments in Afar
- Reached 6.5 million people in Somali with Zithromax and Tetracycline Eye Ointment
- Implemented facial cleanliness and environmental improvement programs in 81 districts across Afar and Somali
Our Technical Expertise
Mass Drug Administration (MDA)
We deliver large-scale MDA in line with WHO and national guidelines, achieving up to 95% coverage in Afar and an average 89% therapeutic coverage across Somali between 2019 and 2023.
Community Awareness and Case Finding
We raise awareness through community education, behavior-change activities, and TT case-finding. Health extension workers and volunteers are trained to identify and refer suspected cases to nearby eye care units.
Training Eye Care Workers
We have trained 120 Integrated Eye Care Workers (IECWs) and established 120 Primary Eye Care Units across Afar, Gambella, and Benishangul-Gumuz—ensuring quality services through regular supervision and audits.
Trachoma Surveys and Evidence
Amref conducts baseline, impact, and surveillance surveys using WHO and Global Trachoma Mapping Project (GTMP) standards. To date, we have completed:
- 26 surveys in Afar
- 108 surveys in Somali
- Household and individual assessments across multiple evaluation units and Woredas
- Facial Cleanliness & Environmental Improvement (F&E)
Integrated with our WASH programs, these efforts have: - Increased clean faces among children (1–9 years) to 87.7%
- Improved access to basic sanitation from 8% to 83.3%
- Doubled community awareness of trachoma causes in some regions