Khan, Asad Aslam; Florea, Victor V; Hussain, Arif; Jadoon, Zahid; Boisson, Sophie; Willis, Rebecca; Dejene, Michael; Bakhtiari, Ana; Mpyet, Caleb; Pavluck, Alexandre L; +3 more... Gillani, Munazza; Qureshi, Babar; Solomon, Anthony W; (2020) Prevalence of Trachoma in Pakistan: Results of 42 Population-Based Prevalence Surveys from the Global Trachoma Mapping Project. OPHTHALMIC EPIDEMIOLOGY, 27 (2). pp. 155-164. ISSN 0928-6586 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09286586.2019.1708120
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Abstract
Purpose: Previous phases of trachoma mapping in Pakistan completed baseline surveys in 38 districts. To help guide national trachoma elimination planning, we set out to estimate trachoma prevalence in 43 suspected-endemic evaluation units (EUs) of 15 further districts.Methods: We planned a population-based trachoma prevalence survey in each EU. Two-stage cluster sampling was employed, using the systems and approaches of the Global Trachoma Mapping Project. In each EU, residents aged ≥1 year living in 30 households in each of 26 villages were invited to be examined by trained, certified trachoma graders. Questionnaires and direct observation were used to evaluate household-level access to water and sanitation.Results: One EU was not completed due to insecurity. Of the remaining 42, three EUs had trichiasis prevalence estimates in ≥15-year-olds ≥0.2%, and six (different) EUs had prevalence estimates of trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) in 1-9-year-olds ≥5%; each EU requires trichiasis and TF prevalence estimates below these thresholds to achieve elimination of trachoma as a public health problem. All six EUs with TF prevalences ≥5% were in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. Household-level access to improved sanitation ranged by EU from 6% to 100%. Household-level access to an improved source of water for face and hand washing ranged by EU from 37% to 100%.Conclusion: Trachoma was a public health problem in 21% (9/42) of the EUs. Because the current outbreak of extremely drug-resistant typhoid in Pakistan limits domestic use of azithromycin mass drug administration, other interventions against active trachoma should be considered here.
Item Type | Article |
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Faculty and Department |
Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health > Dept of Infectious Disease Epidemiology (-2023) Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases > Dept of Clinical Research |
Research Centre | International Centre for Eye Health |
PubMed ID | 31916887 |
Elements ID | 143949 |
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Filename: Prevalence of Trachoma in Pakistan Results of 42 Population-Based Prevalence Surveys from the Global Trachoma Mapping Projec.pdf
Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0
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