How community-driven water initiatives are eliminating trachoma in Ethiopia

Ethiopia is eliminating trachoma and other NTDs through community-driven water initiatives. Learn about CBM’s role in promoting sustainable WASH programs.

Ethiopia is working to combat trachoma and other Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) by improving access to clean water and promoting community-driven initiatives.

Global efforts like World Water Week 2024 highlight the link between water management, health, and sustainable development. CBM collaborates with national governments and partners to support Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) initiatives globally, with a focus on community empowerment in Ethiopia to fight trachoma. Since 2014, CBM has been working with Ethiopian organisations to implement the SAFE strategy (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, and Environmental improvement) against trachoma, promoting community-led sanitation and hygiene initiatives.

Trachoma is a disease caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis. It is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide and can be easily transmitted from person to person. Lack of access to water and sanitation are also important factors in the transmission of trachoma.

Well construction — In Mareko district, Ethiopia, a hand-dug well serves 60 households, with a committee managing its operations.
CBM/Diemer

Water Infrastructure: Communities have established and maintained water supply schemes and sanitation facilities.

For instance, in the Amhara region, communities have come together to build and maintain water supply schemes. These initiatives are not imposed from the top down but are driven by collective action, with local communities contributing labour, materials, and oversight. This hands-on involvement ensures that progress continues even as external support scales down, making the health system locally owned and sustainable.

Behavioural Change and Education: Anti-trachoma school clubs have been established to engage students in hygiene practices, turning them into health ambassadors.

In school clubs like the Abaya Zuria primary school, students take turns demonstrating proper face-washing techniques and organising regular cleanliness checks. They use songs, dramas, and peer education to make learning about hygiene fun and engaging. This approach has led to significant behavioural changes among students and the wider community, where children encourage their families to adopt better hygiene practices.

Hygiene facilities: Local communities construct sanitation facilities like latrines, directly contributing to the reduction of trachoma transmission.

Since 2022 through Community Led Total Sanitation and Hygiene (CLTSH) programmes, 105 kebeles (communities) have been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF), with the construction of 47,520 latrines driven by community awareness and sensitisation efforts. Local leaders, mothers, and children have become champions of hygiene and sanitation.

Establishing sustainable infrastructure, such as water supply schemes and sanitation facilities, has significantly improved daily life in many communities. These efforts have not only reduced the spread of NTDs but have also created a foundation for long-term sustainability, with communities taking an active role in maintaining and managing these resources for the benefit of future generations.