Orbis Provides Clean Water to Save Sight, Ethiopia

Environmental change in a community is necessary for long-term protection from trachoma. The disease persists where people live in poverty with crowded living conditions and where there is insufficient basic infrastructure for water, sanitation, and waste disposal. Unless such conditions change, trachoma will return after antibiotic treatment.

The World Health Organisation has set the year 2020 as the target to eliminate blindness resulting from trachoma. This is a difficult but achievable target. To get there we must have inclusive community-based programmes that offer freedom from trachoma for all, but that also specifically and deliberately target women and girls.

Gender-specific household tasks place women at an increased risk for trachoma infection. For instance, women are more likely to have higher rate of trachoma because they are the primary caregivers of children. 

Hygiene should be understood from a gender perspective. Gender informs hygiene behaviors, which place men and women at different risks. Although women are responsible for the hygiene of their children, they may not be empowered to make decisions about the allocation of household resources for hygiene purposes. This includes access to water, soap, towels, or washcloths (if even used) and the time to teach hygiene to children. 

When water is not easily accessible, face-washing declines. Communities may be reluctant to use precious water for hygenic purposes which reduces water for more basic sustenance activities. 

Women must be reached with health education so that they can protect themselves, and their children, from trachoma. They must be reached with treatment to cure their current infections. They must have access to water and sanitation. 

I recently returned from a trip to Bonke in southern Ethiopia where Orbis is implementing the SAFE strategy in order to eliminate a blinding and life destroying eye disease - trachoma. 

I met with my Ethiopian colleagues who explained the four aspects of the SAFE strategy - Surgery, Antibiotics, Face Washing and Environment. Each of these four components are vital in order to eradicate this horrific disease. I was priviledged enough to witness, firsthand the impact of Orbis' work. 

Our first stop was the local school, which is situated in the most beautiful setting amongst the lush green hills of southern Ethiopia - a landscape that surprised me. There we were greeted with a welcome song and dance followed by a drama showing one boy being brought to the local health centre and being cured of trachoma and the other being brought to the traditional healer and suffering immense pain without being cured. 

These children are part of school eye care clubs and they teach their fellow students, families and communities the importance of washing their face and hands in order to keep diseases, like trachoma, at bay. 

The students were so proud to show off their Orbis-funded toilets at the school, built in 2013. Prior to this the kids would defacate in the surrounding fields, spreading disease. The use of toilets is a massive contributing factor to the reduction of trachoma in these areas. 

We were also shown a nearby clean water supply. The children were so proud to show us both the toilets and the water supply. I was delighted to see so many clean faces and to hear the school children's enthusiasm for demonstrating good sanitation. 

The development in this area is immense and Orbis is making real strides in eliminating this painful and torturous eye disease. That is only half the story however, Orbis is completely transforming this region by improving the awareness surrounding personal hygiene and providing much needed clean water.

This impact is due to the support of people like you - thank you!