Salima to rollout trachoma campaign
Salima District Health Office (DHO) has announced that it will carry out a five-day trachoma treatment and control exercise from July 13 to 17 2015.
According to a statement released by Salima’s assistant environmental health officer Noel Khunga, the campaign is the last of the three designated to curb the disease’s spread in the district.
Khunga said as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the district has been administering trachoma drugs for control and treatment since 2013.
He added that the treatment will be given to people with ages ranging from one month to 59 years.
“[Those aged] from one month to six month will get tetracycline eye ointment and those from six months to 59 years old will receive per oral suspension,” said Khunga.
The health official stressed that the campaign is part of activities to be carried out in a quest to realise the Global Elimination of Blinding Trachoma (GET) by 2020.
“This is one of the diseases that, if left unchecked, contribute to reducing productivity of citizens as it leads to blindness of individuals,” said Khunga.
Trachoma is caused by Chlymadia Trachomatis of the serotypes A, B and C that affects the upper tarsal conjunctiva (inside the eyelid).
It is transmitted through direct contact with fingers, flies from one person to another, sharing of fomites and overcrowding in families.
