ICROSS FIGHTS TRACHOMA JAN 2012

Heres the problem.

Trachoma is a bacterial eye infection similar to conjunctivitis, which, if left untreated, causes extreme pain and eventually leads to blindness. It is easily spread from person to person by unwashed hands and by flies which are attracted by the discharge the infection causes. We have developed a series of fly traps to reduce infection rates.
Repeat infections cause scarring on the inside of the eyelid which is called trichiasis where the eyelid turns inwards making the eyelashes scrape painfully against the eyeball leading to irreparable corneal damage.
Trichiasis sufferers often pull out their eyelashes to relieve the pain but the relief is short lived as they often grow back stronger than before. 84 million people are infected with trachoma and a further 1.2 billion people at risk; nine million people are also waiting for eyelid surgery for the advanced stages of the disease.

Trachoma is linked to extreme poverty and poor sanitation, thriving in overcrowded conditions,mostly in Africa.
Trachoma is most prevalent in the poorest and most remote rural areas of Africa and South Asia – Africa alone carries 65% of active cases. Women are particularly susceptible to trachoma as they spend the most time with children, the worst spreaders of the disease. In trachoma endemic areas up to 86% of cases are in women.

ICROSS has been fighting trachoma with Professor David Morely since 1993. This month sees ICROSS and Ministry of Health teams working together covering 14 locations preventing and reducing Trachoma. This collaboration has reached over 6,000 women and children in January 2012 so far. With your help we can increase this. Our target in 2012 is to reach 36,000 women and children most at risk. We work among populations that have the highest infection rates of trachoma in the World. With your help we can reduce this leading cause of blindness.