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Trachoma is the second most common cause of blindness after cataract
 
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Prevention

Regular face washing is one of the best ways to prevent the onset of trachoma
  © Jamshyd Masud / Sightsavers 

Sightsavers follows the World Health Organisation's SAFE strategy, an approach that embraces both prevention and cure:

  • Surgery - when a person's eyelids have turned inwards through trichiasis, a straightforward operation turns the eyelids outwards again.
  • Antibiotics - tetracycline ointment or an oral antibiotic can treat the trachoma infection.
  • Face washing - simple procedures such as face and hand washing can reduce the rate of cross infection dramatically.
  • Environmental hygiene - communities need to be aware of the benefits of good environmental health, which reduces breeding sites for flies. Examples include improved access to water, keeping animals separate from humans, cleaning up rubbish and the building of pit latrines.

 

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Just £5 could save one person's sight and stop the pain.
Rosemary is SAFE and sound
Rosemary Kassim lives in Salima district, Malawi, an area known for an extremely high prevalence of trachoma, and she had spent years suffering from the infection. Read on…