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August 6 2012
A global health survey assessing the population distribution of people at risk of trachoma will be led by the charity Sightsavers over the next three years.
Supported by the UK Government, and in partnership with the International Trachoma Initiative and academic institutions, the charity will map the disease in more than 30 of the world’s poorest countries.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has pledged to eliminate the disease, which is caused by a bacterial infection and has been classified as being endemic in 53 countries across the globe, by 2020. However, for this to become a reality the scale and precise locations of where the disease is common need to be identified by 2015.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development, Stephen O’Brien, said: “Trachoma causes misery and suffering to some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world. Mapping is the critical first step in identifying those most at risk from the disease and ensuring they receive the right treatment.
“Britain is at the forefront of the global effort to rid the world of neglected tropical diseases such as trachoma, and this work will play a key role in helping to achieve this.”
The survey will see up to 1,110 local surveyors and analysts trained to perform the mapping, while a mobile application will be developed to accurately record mapping data.
Chairman of Sightsavers, Lord Nigel Crisp, said: “The completion of the mapping of this disease will be a pivotal moment in the fight against trachoma. Once these data are available, the scale of the problem can be understood and it will be clear exactly where trachoma is putting people at risk of blindness so that the resources can be mobilised to enable us to end this dreadful condition.”
The disease maps will be available at www.trachomaatlas.org
- Photograph courtesy of Kate Holt/Sightsavers
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