Prevalence and distribution of active trachoma among children 1-9 years old at Leku town, southern Ethiopia

Trachoma is chronic conjunctivitis caused by chlamydial trachomatis serovar A, B, Ba or C. Transmission occurs primarily through close personal contact, particularly among young children in rural communities with limited water supplies [1]. Trachoma remains major public health problem in 42 countries and responsible for the blindness or visual impairment of about 1.9 million people. It causes about 1.4% of all blindness worldwide [2]. Africa remains the most affected continent. Trachoma is known to be a public health problem in the 27 countries of WHO’s Africa Region in 2016. The countries with the highest prevalence of disease are in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the Sahel belt and East Africa [3]. More than 83 million people in Africa were treated with antibiotics for trachoma in 2016, accounting for 97% of all antibiotic treatments for trachoma across the globe [2]. Prevalence and distribution of active trachoma among children 1-9 years old at Leku town, southern Ethiopia.