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OFID IN THE FIELD


CYRILLE THIERRY EVINI TRACHOMA / NTD PROGRAM COORDINATOR, LIGHT FOR THE WORLD


“We started trachoma interventions in northern Ethiopia some five years back. Trachoma is a disease that, put simply, is caused by a lack of proper hygiene practices. When such practices are not maintained (in terms of poor waste disposal or open defecation practices), the disease spreads. Fortunately, we can address trachoma using the World Health Organization (WHO)- recommended SAFE strategy (see box). Our program brings together the local community and local partners. The first challenge was to acknowledge the problem. Then we defined solutions and implemented them, both to stop the disease from spreading and to prevent people who were infected from becoming blind. When we began, more than one-quarter of the


entire population in the Tigray region needed to be treated. We have since treated around 90 percent of the population every year with antibiotics and / or surgery (we have operated on more than 40,000 people). To accompany this treatment, we have to support positive behaviors so that people maintain proper hygiene at a personal and


community level. Operations and antibiotics are not enough. We have now begun education initiatives – until recently, this was missing. We are building latrines and water points in schools so that children can adopt and practice these positive behaviors. The children and teachers impact the wider community by taking these new skills back to their towns and villages. More specifically, this next stage of our


intervention (which will run in parallel to our other activities) will focus on schoolchildren in nine rural districts. During the next months, we will construct and rehabilitate water points and latrines in 50 schools and promote good hygiene and sanitation practices through outreach activities within the school communities. In this way, the children become agents of


change. OFID’s US$500,000 grant is supporting this focus and enables us, for the first time, to make sure our program is comprehensive and more sustainable. Having the software [the education] and the hardware [the infrastructure] in schools makes a big difference.


SAFE


Elimination programs for trachoma in endemic countries are being implemented using the WHO- recommended SAFE strategy. This consists of:


Roniger on Ethiopia “There is still much to do,” says Roniger. “But, Ethiopia is a wonderful example of positive change. Since 2018, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has begun a campaign of political liberalization and tried to end internal disputes, as well as those with neighbors including Eritrea.”


According to the World Bank, Ethiopia’s economy experienced strong, broad-based growth averaging 10.3 percent a year from 2006/07 to 2016/17, compared to a regional average of 5.4 percent.


“We are very happy to be a part of all this positive progress,” adds Roniger.


S A


F E


WHAT IS TRACHOMA?


Trachoma is the leading infectious cause of blindness. It causes the inside of the eyelid to scar, turn inward and scratch the cornea, eventually leading to irreversible blindness. Trachoma is treated with antibiotics and is preventable through improved hygiene and sanitation. In its final stage, surgery on the eyelid is the only way to prevent the loss of sight. Worldwide, nearly 128 million people are at risk of losing their sight due to trachoma.


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Surgery to treat the blinding stage of the disease


Antibiotics to clear infection, particularly mass drug administration of the antibiotic azithromycin, which is donated by the manufacturer as part of the elimination of trachoma programs (International Trachoma Initiative).


Facial cleanliness


Environmental improvement, particularly improving access to water and sanitation.


PHOTO: Light for the World


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