Trachoma control: a guide for programme managers

Overview

Trachoma is an infectious eye disease that causes blindness; it is prevalent in many poor rural communities. The World Health Organization has set the year 2020 as the target for global elimination of trachoma as a public health problem. To reach this target, the SAFE strategy (Surgery for trichiasis, Antibiotics to treat Chlamydia trachomatis infection, and Facial cleanliness and Environmental improvement to reduce transmission of C. trachomatisfrom one person to another) is recommended for districts and communities with endemic disease.

This guide has been written for managers of national and district trachoma control programmes. It sets out, step-by-step, what is needed to assess the magnitude and extent of the trachoma problem in the area and how to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate a programme to control, and ultimately eliminate, trachoma.

Throughout this guide, the term ‘community’ is used to refer to the minimum number of persons for whom mass trachoma control is to be implemented (for example, a defined group of households, one village or a group of neighbouring villages). The term ‘district’ is defined as the usual administrative unit for health care management, and the term ‘region’ is used to indicate the administrative unit one level higher than the district. These definitions and definitions of other terms used are found in the glossary.

Templates for a number of forms recommended for use in a programme can be found in the annex.