Training Teachers in Ethiopia to Save Sight

Trachoma is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. Despite the fact that trachoma is preventable, millions of people suffer from trichiasis, the potentially blinding stage of trachoma. This situation requires immediate action if the global target to eliminate blinding trachoma by 2020 is to be reached.

The World Health Organisation endorses the SAFE strategy to prevent and treat trachoma. Surgery treats trichiasis patients, Antibiotic distribution treats active infections, and Facial cleanliness and Environmental sanitation prevent the transmission of trachoma.

In Ethiopia, the country with the heaviest known burden of trachoma cases in the world, Orbis implements the SAFE strategy to eliminate trachoma.

Schools are an ideal place to target children, who are most susceptible to trachoma infection. Orbis organises eye health education for teachers across a region of three million people in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Educating children is deemed to be an extremely effective way to tackle the incidence of trachoma across communities. 

• Children help identify family members who have trichiasis. Common myths surrounding the effects of trachoma include that the disease is the result of a curse or the fault of the individual.
• Children educate family members about trichiasis. The children, empowered with information from their teacher, explain that trichiasis is caused by a disease and is not their fault. Children's views are generally respected by their family, who were proud to have a child who is attending school.
• Children support mass drug administration campaigns. They do so by participating themselves and by encouraging family members to take the antibiotic. 
• Children learn improved hygiene habits. In schools where water is provided and where there is sufficient health education and mobilisation, children learn to practice good facial cleanliness and help to monitor the facial cleanliness of other children. In addition, they care for younger siblings and are encouraged to clean their faces for them.
• Improved sanitation. At school, children learn how to use latrines and how these latrines prevent diseases like trachoma. Health clubs at schools teach students about healthier hygiene habits and how to prevent trachoma. Health, trachoma, and environmental sanitation clubs help to organise environmental sanitation campaigns at school and in the community.

Healthy habits that children learn from teachers in school improve their health and the health of their families and future generations. School children will raise their families with healthier habits if they receive targeted trachoma health education. For all children, school-based health education in addition to other form's of health education – such as radio messages, health extension workers, and social organisations – collectively work to demystify trachoma, reduce stigma and shame, and to prevent blindness.

Thank you for helping Orbis to train more teachers to ensure behaviours are changed across communities. 

In poverty-stricken regions, such as the village of Dokotu in Southern Ethiopia, people are under the constant threat of contracting Trachoma - a painful and blinding eye disease. 

Trachoma is highly infectious and can easily be transmitted between infected and healthy eyes by flies or infected clothing, and a lack of clean water to wash. 

Trachoma could be avoided with proper treatment. 

Asnaqench lives in the village of Dokotu which has 2,000 inhabitants. She is the leader of Dokotu’s women's group and as such is trained in eye health care by Orbis. Her role is to spread the word about the importance of taking care of your eyes. 

Asnaqench explains her experience: 

“I have seen trachoma in my community for many years. I see how it works – the eye is itchy, then red, the tears come and the pain and then they lose their sight. 

Thanks to Orbis, now we know how to stop it – better sanitation, face washing, and simple operations if needed. The other women and I are agents, here for the people to fight trachoma. We have learned much from Orbis. 

I don’t know if trachoma will be beaten, but all my life I will try." 

The training of local people in eye -health, like Asnaqech, is crucial in the battle to beat trachoma.  

Without your generous support, such training would not be possible. 

Thank you so much!