What is trachoma?
Trachoma is the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness, and is part of a group of conditions known as neglected tropical diseases (often referred to as NTDs).
Trachoma starts off as a bacterial infection that’s a bit like conjunctivitis, and can be easily treated. But if it’s not, over time it causes scarring to the eyelid that makes the eyelashes turn inward, so with every blink they scrape against the eye.
The disease thrives where there are water shortages, poor sanitation and infestations of flies. The pain is so intense that many people resort to pulling out their eyelashes to reduce the agony of blinking. Over time, trachoma can lead to blindness.
Trachoma infections spread through contact with infected flies and personal contact via hands, clothes or bedding; because of this, it disproportionately affects women and children. For women living in societies with traditional gender roles, trachoma leads to a further loss of independence and makes it extremely difficult to care for children and family members. The agony and disability of trachoma can lead to a cycle of poverty, limiting many people’s access to health services, education and employment.
Source: World Health Organization
How is trachoma treated?
Antibiotics
Zithromax® tablets, donated by pharmaceutical company Pfizer, are used to treat the trachoma infection. Treatment is usually repeated annually for three or more years.
Surgery
Trachoma can cause the eyelashes to turn inwards. In severe cases, an operation stops the eyelashes rubbing against the eyeball, and halts the cycle of repeated infection.
Cleanliness and hygiene
Communities are encouraged to change behaviours that can put them at risk of contracting trachoma, and are taught about the importance of face washing, hygiene and sanitation.
Your donation could help to protect sight
DONATEWhat we’re doing
Since we began, Sightsavers has supported more than 379,000 operations and helped to distribute more than 118 million antibiotic treatments for trachoma worldwide.
We are working with partners to eliminate trachoma in the countries in which we operate. As part of this goal, we’re helping to control the impact and spread of trachoma by implementing the World Health Organization’s SAFE strategy: the acronym describes the four methods used to control the disease.
- Surgery: to stop eyelashes from rubbing against the eyeball and helping to halt the cycle of repeated infection that can lead to blindness.
- Antibiotics: Azithromycin medication is used to treat the trachoma infection and reduce the spread of the disease. The treatment is usually repeated annually for three or more years.
- Facial cleanliness: teaching local communities the importance of face washing, and encouraging good hygiene to prevent the infection being spread through contact with an infected person’s eyes or nose, or via flies.
- Environmental improvements: to improve access to water and basic sanitation to reduce exposure and re-infection, and eliminate the conditions in which flies breed.
Sayon’s story
Sayon suffered for many years with trachoma, which caused her eyelashes to scratch against her eyes. Thanks to surgery, she is now free from this painful disease.
Read her storyFind out about other diseases we treat
Neglected tropical diseasesMore about trachoma
How field surveys can help us fight trachoma
In February 2017, Sightsavers supported our partners with the ambitious task of conducting field surveys for trachoma in Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi.
BBC invites Sightsavers to discuss trachoma elimination
Sightsavers Director of Neglected Tropical Diseases Simon Bush was invited onto the radio programme to talk about whether the end is in sight for trachoma.
Bringing hope to Darfur: how mass drug administration is tackling trachoma
As a young man, my memories of Darfur are of it being one of the most beautiful areas of Sudan. Yet the situation changed quite quickly – almost overnight.
