Mainstreaming Primary Eye Care Interventions into Primary Health Care System in Ethiopia (MAIPEC)

Date of Start: September 2021

Date of Completion: December 2027

Funder: Wellcome Trust UK

Aim: Identify a package of feasible and effective interventions for mainstreamed primary eye health care (PEHC) service delivery within PHC in a low-income setting, in Sidama region, Ethiopia.

Background:

There is limited evidence from low-income settings on how to effectively and sustainably integrate primary eye care (PEC) into primary health care (PHC). This project uses a four-phase, interrelated research approach. Phase 1 measures eye health needs and determinants of service utilisation. Phase 2 assesses health system capacity and preparedness for PEC mainstreaming. Findings from Phases 1 and 2 inform Phase 3, which uses Transdisciplinary Action Research to co-design community-owned, context-specific PEC interventions with stakeholders. In Phase 4, these interventions are optimised through iterative testing, both individually and as an integrated package, using a modified Multistage Optimisation Strategy, to prepare for full-scale testing in a cluster randomised trial.

Progress:

Phase 3 is currently underway.