Distributing Antibiotics to Prevent Blindness

When the village of Gereshe in southern Ethiopia was first part of the Orbis antibiotic distribution in 2010, the people of the community were sceptical about taking the drug. They were unconvinced of the benefits of the antibiotic (donated by Pfizer) in treating the blinding eye infection, trachoma.

Orbis worked with community leaders, Health Workers and even traditional healers to teach the sight-saving benefits of the antibiotic. Now, after the third annual dose has been distributed across the community, the people can see the benefits for themselves.

The first round had an 81% uptake, the second 86% and the third 96%.

Meselech is 20 and she is a 10^th grade student at the local school in Gereshe. Meselech is relieved that Orbis has given her village the opportunity to receive these antibiotics. She, and all her family, have taken all three doses.

Meselech says: “Before Orbis we didn’t know anything about what was hurting our eyes. Now, through leaflets, billboards, radio and our school teachers we know a lot of information about trachoma. I have told my parents and the rest of my family, so we all have made a change to our lives.

“We know that the drug is not everything. We also have to wash our face and hands and use the community latrines [also provided by Orbis].

“I knew at least ten people in my village whose eye lashes scratched their eye because of trachoma. Now they’ve had surgery and know how to avoid getting the infection again.

“The whole community is more aware of the health centre services available and we demand a good level of service from the centre and from our local government.”