Trachoma

Trachoma

News: Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that, Iraq has now joined the league of 17 other countries that have eliminated ‘trachoma’.

Background:
• The 17 other countries that have eliminated trachoma are  Benin, Cambodia, China, Gambia, Ghana, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malawi, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Togo and Vanuatu.

What is Trachoma?
• Trachoma is a bacterial infection of the eye caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. It is a chronic infectious disease of the eye and is the leading cause of infectious blindness globally.

How does it spread?
• The infection spreads through personal contact (via hands, clothes, bedding or hard surfaces) and by flies that have been in contact with discharge from the eyes or nose of an infected person.

Symptoms:
• Symptoms of Trachoma include itching of the eyelids, irritation of the eye, swollen eyelids, draining of pus from the eyes, photophobia sensitivity to light, pain in the eye, and vision problems.

How did Iraq achieve this feat?
• Iraq established its national trachoma programme in 2012 to coordinate the final domestic push against the disease.
• A trachoma surveillance system was developed to detect and manage cases within secondary and tertiary eye care facilities, as well as through school pre-enrollment and school eye screening programmes conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

What is WHO’s strategy to eliminate Trachoma?
• To eliminate trachoma as a public health problem, WHO recommends the SAFE strategy, a comprehensive approach to reduce transmission of the causative organism, clear existing infections and deal with their effects
• The SAFE strategy includes– i) Surgery to treat the blinding stage (trachomatoustrichiasis) ii) Antibiotics to clear the infection, particularly the antibiotic azithromycin iii) Facial cleanliness and Environmental improvement, particularly improving access to water and sanitation.