By Diane Weatherup | Development Director
Trachoma is a major public health problem in many rural areas of Ethiopia. Scarcity of water, poor personal hygiene and environmental sanitation, overcrowding and lack of awareness on trachoma and eye care in general are commonplace. These conditions will inevitably give rise to trachoma infections.
One of the best ways to prevent the transmission of trachoma is by encouraging face and hand washing. This will help to slow the spread of bacteria which causes infection and ultimately prevent people from contracting trachoma. This is a challenge in a region where water is scarce.
Orbis works alongside the local communities to raise awareness of the importance of facial cleanliness to prevent the bacteria which causes the trachoma infection and improve the surrounding environment through access to clean water and sanitation.
Orbis representatives train teachers about facial cleanliness, personal hygiene, environmental sanitation and how to wash hands effectively to prevent the spread of bacteria. This training has been successfully implemented in schools in the Konso region in southern Ethiopia.
Training the teachers takes five days. In Konso, once they are trained, teachers will be supervised by Ato Alebachew Hunie, an ophthalmic officer and the project field coordinator. Ato has extensive experience in providing trachoma related training for teachers.
Moreover, health education on personal hygiene and environmental sanitation is a regular activity in schools. Environmental sanitation campaigns in schools, construction of communal latrines, and preparation of hand washing facilities using local materials are the main activities. Water containers are also placed outside the school to encourage children to wash their hands regularly.
The impact that the training has on the reduction of the incidence of trachoma is significant. On average there are 1000 students in a school, and all the schools in the community are beneficiaries. However the indirect impact on the wider community is greater as family members are educated on the importance of facial cleanliness.
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