What We Do

Trachoma

Trachoma, eye diseases, etiology, blinding

Trachoma Facts

Trachoma infection quickly spreads quickly from person to person, often attacking entire communities
8 million people have been visually impaired by trachoma
It is estimated that 145 million people are facing blindness from trachoma if they don’t have access to preventive medicine
At least 10.6 million adults in the world are in urgent need of surgery as a result of trachoma infection
Affects up to 90% of pre-school children in some areas

What Causes Trachoma?

Trachoma is an eye infection that strikes children and families who live in dusty regions and quickly spreads from person to person, attacking entire communities. It is easily transmitted when contact is made with eye, nose or throat discharges.

Left untreated, the eyelid will turn under, scarring the cornea with every painful blink. This damage is exceptionally painful and after a while, the eye becomes so badly damaged that blindness is inevitable and irreversible.

Trachoma thrives in environments where basic hygiene routines are lacking, often due to the scarcity of water. CBM funds education programs to highlight the importance of hygiene.

How CBM helps

CBM has implemented the SAFE Program to stop the spread of trachoma by equipping high-risk communities to take action against this preventable form of blindness at the family and community level.

SAFE represents the four key actions required to combat trachoma:

Surgery
Antibiotics
Face Washing
Environmental Improvement

CBM and its project partners are able to offer education and training to communities - giving them the ability to avoid infection. In addition, we can provide eyelid rotation surgery, which helps to turn the scratching eyelashes outwards and relieve the pain of every blink.

These operations and training events can only continue with your support.

How You Can Help

Trachoma treatment, doctor, eye drops, Africa”
Tetracycline eye ointment helps cure parents and their children from the ravages of infection

Yes! I am committed to helping CBM continue to provide services to people with physical and mental disabilities in the poorest countries of the world.

Prevention & Treatment

Environmental risk factors are water shortage, flies, poor hygiene conditions, and crowded households. A prolonged exposure to infection throughout childhood and young adulthood appears to be necessary to produce the complications seen in later life. A single episode of acute Chlamydial conjunctivitis is not considered sight threatening as there is virtually no risk of prolonged inflammation or blinding complications.

It can be treated with a tube of Tetracycline ointment that costs $5—enough to treat an entire family.

A Sample of Related CBM Projects

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