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Mahesh

08/08/23 21:56 PM IST

Iraq eliminates trachoma as a public health problem

In News
  • Iraq has now joined the league of 17 other countries that have eliminated trachoma, a neglected tropical disease and the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness.
Measures taken
  • The country is also the 50th to be acknowledged by the United Nations health agency for eliminating at least one neglected tropical disease globally.
  • Trachoma is the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness and is one of the conditions known as neglected tropical diseases.
  • Iraq established its national trachoma programme in 2012 to coordinate the final domestic push against the disease.
  • A trachoma surveillance system was developed to detect and manage cases within secondary and tertiary eye care facilities, as well as through school pre-enrollment and school eye screening programmes conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.
  • To eliminate trachoma as a public health problem, WHO recommends the SAFE strategy, a comprehensive approach to reduce transmission of the causative organism, clear existing infections and deal with their effects.
  • The SAFE strategy includes: Surgery to treat the blinding stage (trachomatous trichiasis); Antibiotics to clear the infection, particularly the antibiotic azithromycin; Facial cleanliness and Environmental improvement, particularly improving access to water and sanitation.
  • The 17 other countries that have eliminated trachoma are: Benin, Cambodia, China, Gambia, Ghana, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malawi, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Togo and Vanuatu.
About Trachoma
  • It is a contagious bacterial eye infection caused by bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. It primarily affects the surface of the eye and the inside of the eyelid.
  • It is transmitted through direct contact with the eye or nose secretions of infected individuals or from fomites and flies or indirectly through contaminated objects like towels or clothes.
  • With time, it causes the eyelashes to be pushed inward into the eye. So with every blink, they brush against the eyeball. This form of trachoma is called trichiasis. If it’s not treated, trichiasis can lead to blindness.

Source- DTE

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