A longitudinal study of trachoma infection clearance and re-acquisition in a persistently hyperendemic setting (ATIRA)

Date of start: September 2024

Date of completion: December 2027

Funder: Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF)

Aim: Investigate why the prevalence of trachoma remains above elimination threshold in Ethiopia despite several years of implementation of the WHO-recommended control strategy and identify novel, context-specific and effective interventions to facilitate elimination.

Background:

The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a goal to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem by 2030. However, despite decades of recommended interventions implementation, persistent trachoma continues to hinder progress. To understand the factors contributing to this persistence, we are following a cohort of children aged 1-9 monthly for more than a year following a community-wide mass drug administration (MDA) and also after one round of additional "child MDA" in a district with persistently hyperendemic trachoma in Amhara, Ethiopia. The study's findings are expected to inform the development and testing of novel trachoma elimination strategies, accelerating global efforts to eliminate the disease.

Progress:

Baseline data collection has been completed, enrolling 2,086 children, and 14 monthly follow-up visits have been completed. Data analysis and reporting will start soon.