Delivering trachoma interventions to special populations: A toolkit for program managers
This toolkit outlines key considerations for stakeholders planning trachoma interventions targeting special populations, as well as those funding them. It includes guidance on conducting situational analyses and surveys, building strategic partnerships, planning for implementation, and advocating for inclusive approaches. In addition, it offers a collection of practical tools that can be used or adapted to […]
Mass drug administration for trachoma elimination in a pastoral conflict area in Baringo County, Kenya: A study on barriers to coverage and compliance
Abstract: Trachoma, a neglected tropical disease (NTD), is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. It is caused by repeated ocular infections with the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis. Treatment coverage achieved in Baringo County, Kenya in 2020 and 2021 was 80% and 79% respectively, further investigation at the lower levels known as wards shows coverages ranging […]
Navigating the Path to Elimination: Lessons from Lymphatic Filariasis and Trachoma Dossiers
In the late 1990s, the World Health Assembly adopted resolutions targeting the global elimination of the diseases lymphatic filariasis (LF) and trachoma as public health problems. Tremendous progress has been made since then, with 19 countries eliminating LF and 18 countries eliminating trachoma.To validate elimination of a neglected tropical disease (NTD) as a public health […]
Comparison of metrics for assessing face washing behaviour for trachoma control.
There is currently no single, easy-to-use, reliable indicator to assess whether a face has been washed with soap in the context of trachoma elimination. This study aimed to compare survey report, script-based pictorial recall and facial cleanliness indicators as alternatives to structured observation for measuring face washing behaviour. This method validation study was nested in […]
Cost and community acceptability of enhanced antibiotic distribution approaches for trachoma in the Republic of South Sudan: enhancing the A in SAFE (ETAS) study protocol
Background The World Health Organization targeted trachoma for global elimination as a public health problem by 2030. Reaching elimination thresholds by the year 2030 in the Republic of South Sudan will be a considerable challenge, as the country currently has many counties considered hyper-endemic (> 30% trachomatous inflammation-follicular [TF]) that have yet to receive interventions. Evidence […]
Using community-based participatory approaches to improve access to mass drug administration for trachoma elimination in a pastoral conflict area of Kenya
In Baringo County, Kenya, trachoma remains endemic despite repeated mass drug administration (MDA) efforts, with coverage in one of the wards consistently falling short of world health organization (WHO) targets. The disease is endemic in 12 out of the 47 counties in Kenya. Baringo county is a pastoral conflict, hard to reach area where eight […]
Assessment of the status of improved F&E trachoma control practices among children of agro-pastoralists in Southern Ethiopia: a mixed design survey using theory of triadic influences
Background: Ethiopia is one of the countries with heavy trachoma burdens states globally. More than 75 million people in Ethiopia live in the trachoma endemic zones. Most populations with neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) live in hard-to-reach residences because of landscape and socio-cultural variances. This survey assessed the status of improved Face hygiene and Environmental cleanliness […]
Social marketing interventions for the prevention and control of neglected tropical diseases: A systematic review
Background Social marketing is an approach to behavior change that contributes to disease prevention and control. This study aimed to understand how social marketing interventions have addressed neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). It examined the characteristics, breadth of coverage, and outcomes of social marketing interventions focused on the prevention and control of these diseases. Methodology/Principal findings […]
Nudge strategies for behavior-based prevention and control of neglected tropical diseases: A scoping review and ethical assessment
Background Nudging, a strategy that uses subtle stimuli to direct people’s behavior, has recently been included as an effective and low-cost behavior change strategy in low- and middle- income countries (LMIC), targeting behavior-based prevention and control of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The present scoping review aims to provide a timely overview of how nudge interventions […]
Synthesis of findings from the literature and a qualitative research study on the impacts of gender, disability, and ethnicity in Neglected Tropical Diseases programs
Introduction Act to End NTDs | West, a USAID-funded program that supports national governments to eliminate or control five neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in West Africa including trachoma, lymphatic filariasis (LF), onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis, conducted a gender and social inclusion analysis to determine how NTDs differentially impact various populations and how gender and […]