How much trachomatous trichiasis is there? A guide to calculating district-level estimates

摘要

Estimating the number of people with trachomatous trichiasis allows managers to plan surgical services and obtain the resources needed to eliminate this painful condition. In some people living in trachoma-endemic areas, repeated conjunctival Chlamydia trachomatis infection eventually leads to trachomatous trichiasis (TT), in which one or more eyelashes are misdirected so that they rub on the eyeball.SUP 1,2 /SUP Untreated, this can scar the cornea and result in permanent blindness. Estimating the likely number of people with TT helps programme managers to plan surgical services and secure resources.SUP 3,4 /SUP Recent work to complete high-quality baseline mapping of suspected trachoma-endemic populations worldwideSUP 5,6 /SUP and to standardise the systems and methodologies of trachoma impact surveys, pre-validation surveillance surveys, and TT-only surveysSUP 7–10 /SUP has facilitated production of more accurate estimates of the number of people with TT.